USCIS Announces New National Security Measures Following Attack on National Guard Members Committed by an Afghan Citizen
USCIS announced new national security measures that tighten the way the agency will evaluate immigration applications that depend on discretionary analysis. From now on, immigration officers must consider specific factors related to the applicant’s country of origin—including limitations on issuing reliable documents or lack of sufficient information to conduct security checks—when reviewing applications from foreign nationals originating from 19 nations categorized as high-risk. These changes are aligned with Presidential Proclamation 10949, which suspends the entry of citizens from those countries for national security reasons.
Also read: “Trump states that the suspension of asylum decisions will last ‘for a long time’”
The update comes after the recent attack in Washington, D.C., where an Afghan citizen shot two National Guard members, an incident that led USCIS to strengthen its internal review criteria. The agency’s director stated that the main objective is to ensure that every individual is evaluated under the highest verification standards, indicating that negative factors associated with the country of origin may be considered significant elements when deciding whether to grant or deny a discretionary immigration benefit.
The new guidance affects applications such as adjustment of status, extensions of stay, and changes of status, even for individuals who are not directly subject to the entry ban established in the presidential proclamation. USCIS clarified that this stricter review aims to improve the detection of potential risks in cases where the agency relies on its discretionary authority to approve or deny benefits within the United States.
These provisions take effect immediately and apply both to pending applications and to those submitted after November 27, 2025. The policy has already been incorporated into several sections of the USCIS Policy Manual, marking a significant tightening in the handling of immigration petitions for citizens of the countries included in the proclamation, who will face more rigorous scrutiny when requesting immigration benefits within the country.
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Tag:EE.UU., ICE, seguridad nacional, TRUMP, USA
