In response to a recent fatal shooting incident in Washington D.C. involving an Afghan national, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has enacted stringent new screening protocols targeting foreign nationals from 19 designated high-risk countries. The comprehensive policy shift empowers immigration officers to evaluate country-specific risk factors during case reviews, marking a significant hardening of U.S. immigration vetting procedures.
The newly designated nations subject to enhanced scrutiny include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. This directive builds upon previous immigration restrictions established during the Trump administration’s initial term.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow emphasized the security imperative behind these measures: ‘My fundamental duty involves ensuring exhaustive vetting and screening processes for all foreign nationals. This necessitates thorough evaluation of their origins and motivations. Recent tragic events have highlighted concerning vulnerabilities in our previous screening frameworks.’
The updated guidelines specifically authorize immigration officials to consider nation-specific circumstances as potentially adverse factors during case evaluations. Critical considerations include assessing countries’ capacities to produce reliable identification documents and maintain adequate record-keeping systems.
This policy enhancement reinforces the implementation of Presidential Proclamation 10949, which restricts entry of foreign nationals deemed potential threats to national security and public safety. The directive took immediate effect upon announcement, applying to all pending and new applications filed from November 27, 2025 onward.