Trump's sweeping changes to US immigration policy – here's what to know

US Immigration Policy Under Scrutiny as Trump Seeks to Tighten Rules

A devastating shooting at a US military base in Maryland, which left two soldiers dead and another injured, has been seized upon by President Donald Trump as an opportunity to press his hardline immigration agenda. In response to the attack, Trump directed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to pause all pending asylum applications, marking a significant shift in the agency's approach.

The move is part of a broader effort to crack down on asylum seekers from certain countries, with the administration citing concerns over national security and public safety. The USCIS has announced plans to pause consideration of approximately 1.5 million pending asylum claims, while also reviewing the immigration benefits of migrants from 19 "high-risk" countries.

Citizens or nationals from these countries, which include Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, the Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen, will no longer be eligible for work authorizations, green cards, naturalization, or sponsor visas for family members. This change has far-reaching implications, potentially blocking thousands of migrants from accessing essential services.

Furthermore, the USCIS has ordered a "comprehensive re-review" of applications submitted by migrants from these 19 countries since January 2021, when Joe Biden took office. This review will involve checking applicants' identities and screening databases to assess any potential national security or public safety threats.

Critics argue that this move is an attempt by the Trump administration to bypass due process and disproportionately target vulnerable populations. Denise Gilman, co-director of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Texas in Austin, has expressed concerns over the cost and resource-intensive nature of these investigations, suggesting that they may be challenged in federal court.

As the impact of these changes becomes clear, it is likely to have significant consequences for migrants seeking to access immigration benefits. With a prolonged pause on asylum claims and an increased scrutiny of migration applications, thousands of people will face uncertainty and potential delays in accessing essential services.

The whole thing with the military base shooting and Trump trying to crack down on asylum seekers is just super concerning . I mean, it's one thing to take national security seriously, but this feels like a huge overreach to me . These migrants aren't even here yet, you know? They're already going through so much in their home countries to get to the US, and then we're supposed to just shut the door on them? It's not only cruel, it's also super inefficient - think about all those cases that are going to get lost in this review process or never even get a chance at asylum to begin with .

And let's be real, the 19 countries they're targeting are already basically the worst of the worst . These places have been ravaged by conflict and poverty for decades, so it's not like anyone from there is suddenly going to become a threat to national security overnight . It's just more politics as usual, and I'm not buying it .

We need some real reform here, not just some temporary stopgap measures that are just going to kick the can down the road . The US has a history of being a beacon of hope for refugees and immigrants, but under this admin, it feels like we're actively working against people who just want a chance at a better life . It's got to stop .

man this is so messed up the us government is just trying to control everyones lives 1.5 million ppl are gonna be stuck in limbo cuz of some shooting at a military base its not even like it was related to immigration or anything 19 countries gettin stripped of their rights like wut is the point of having a country if u cant even trust ur own ppl

this feels like another example of how policy decisions can affect ppl's lives in major ways... i mean, who gets to decide what constitutes a 'high-risk' country? it seems like the us government is trying to send a message to certain groups of people but at what cost? those 1.5 million pending asylum claims are just sitting there, waiting for someone to review them... meanwhile ppl who need help to stay in the us are being pushed around i hope denise gilman's concerns get some attention from lawmakers

just saw this news about trump trying to tighten up immigration rules... feel like its just another way to keep ppl down i mean, what's next? gonna start screening ppl for "good intentions" or something lol? anyway, it's crazy that they're targeting countries with a history of conflict or instability. seems like an easy way out instead of actually addressing the root issues. also, can we talk about how this is just gonna make things harder for people already living in poverty? its not like this is gonna magically solve anything

[Image of a man with a confused expression, surrounded by red tape and puzzle pieces]

[Animated GIF of a clock ticking, with a "time's up" stamp over it]

[ Picture of a person holding a sign that says "Immigration: Not a Game"]

[A video clip of a person trying to pass through security with a suitcase full of "asylum papers" being confiscated by an overly enthusiastic TSA agent]

[A still image of a " Wanted" poster with the words "Asylum Seeker" and "Most Wanted" crossed out]

Ugh, can you believe this? They're just using the shooting as an excuse to mess with ppl's lives, ya know? I mean, what's next? Are they gonna start revoking passports or something? This whole thing is just so... formulaic. "High-risk" countries? What even is that? Is it based on some kind of algorithm or just a bunch of arbitrary flags waved around? And don't even get me started on the poor people who are gonna be affected by this. It's like, can't they see how messed up this whole system is? I'm all about structure and order, but sometimes you gotta question the underlying framework, ya know? This whole thing just needs a good ol' fashioned table of contents to make sense of it all...

just imagine being stuck in limbo because of politics ... these 1.5 million ppl are just trying to escape war or poverty, but instead they're facing more hurdles... it's not fair to punish entire countries for the actions of a few bad apples . and what's with all this "national security" talk? shouldn't we be focusing on actual threats rather than just targeting ppl from certain countries?

[Image of a cartoon character with a sad expression, holding a broken clock]( Time's up! )

[Trollface with a "NO" sticker on it]( No asylum for anyone! )

[Illustration of a person trying to access a locked door with a key in hand]( Locked out again! )

[An image of Donald Trump with a confused expression, surrounded by red flags and warning signs]( What's going on here? )

[A picture of a clock ticking away, with a "pause" button pressed on it]( Time pause! )

I'm so worried about this new immigration policy . It's all about national security, but what about the human cost? Thousands of ppl are stuck in limbo with no clear way to access basic rights . And let's not forget about the ones who got caught up in this bureaucratic mess - they're already struggling to make ends meet . We need more transparency and due process, not less .

This is wild, right? Like the US military just got attacked and now Trump is like "oh yeah, let's tighten those immigration rules" . I mean, I get it, national security and all that jazz, but come on... 1.5 million pending asylum claims just got put on hold? That's a lot of people who are already in a tough spot, struggling to find their place in the world. And what about the countries listed as "high-risk"? Like, does anyone actually know what makes them high-risk ? Sounds like a bunch of hooey to me .

this is super messed up... i mean who gets to decide who's safe and who's not? it's like trump thinks he can just pick and choose who deserves help newsflash: immigrants are people too! they have families, jobs, hopes & dreams just like the rest of us. can't we all just get along & work towards a solution that doesn't involve hurting innocent ppl? this is basically a cruel joke what's next? revoking passports or something? no way, that's not how democracy works!

just saw that Trump's trying to tightern up asylum rules & it's like, super concerning 1.5 million ppl's lives are being put on hold cuz of some "high-risk" countries...what does that even mean? and now ppl from those countries can't get work authorization or sponsor visas for fam members...it's like they're just gonna disappear into thin air anyone know what's really goin' on here?

I'm not sure if this is the right move, but at the same time, who can blame him for wanting to tighten up security after something like that happens? It's just that it feels kinda unfair to those people trying to make a new life here. Like, they're already in such a hard spot, and now they have to deal with this extra stress on top of everything else. And what about all the money this is gonna cost? I've seen stats saying that a lot of these migrants are just trying to escape poverty or war back home... it feels like we should be helping them out more than sending them packing.

omg can't believe trump is doing this again like what's the point of tightening up immigration rules after 2 soldiers just got shot? so many questions but one thing for sure - thousands of ppl are gonna get hurt because of this and what's up with all these countries being targeted like russia wasn't on that list lol meanwhile trump is just trying to distract from his own issues anyway can we talk about something else?

This move by Trump's admin is super concerning... It's like they're putting all these ppl's lives on hold just cuz of a few attacks . I mean, what about the innocent asylum seekers who are fleeing war & persecution? Don't they deserve some kinda protection? And it's not like they're automatically guilty or anything... This is just another example of how politics can get in the way of actual policy . Can we at least review the facts before making decisions that affect so many lives?

I'm not sure if this is really the right move by the US government . I mean, we're already dealing with some major issues like climate change, healthcare, and income inequality. Do we really need to add more stress on people who are just trying to start a new life in a different country? It's not like these countries are sending us the most vulnerable people or anything. We should be helping them rather than making it harder for them. And what about all the asylum seekers who have been waiting for years already? They're just going to get stuck in limbo while we debate this? It's just a bunch of bureaucratic nonsense, if you ask me

so now trump's just gonna use two dead soldiers as an excuse to tighten up the immigration rules even more like that's a thing he can just do without going through proper channels or considering the real consequences it's not like we haven't seen this before with him making ridiculous statements and then having to backtrack later anyway, good luck to anyone trying to get asylum now, i'm sure the process will be super efficient and not at all slow

This is super confusing, can someone explain to me why they're suddenly denying asylum to people from certain countries? Like what's going on with the US military base shooting? Is it really because of immigration or just an excuse for a stricter policy? I don't get why this isn't just a normal process, like reviewing applications and stuff. It feels like a lot of extra steps are being taken just to make things harder for people who might be fleeing war or persecution. What's the point of checking everyone's identities and screening databases if it's not going to fix any real problems?

omg, can u believe trump's trying to tighten up the immigration rules like he's got a secret stash of extra visas hidden away meanwhile, we're over here thinking about how crazy it is that 1.5 million ppl are just gonna be stuck in limbo like " pending asylum applications" sounds like something from a video game what's next, making ppl play " waiting for green card" instead of actual games?