ISTANBUL

US lawmakers and rights organizations criticized the Trump administration’s decision to halt immigration and asylum processing for nationals of 19 countries already subject to travel restrictions, saying the move will deepen uncertainty for thousands of people.

The decision followed a US Citizenship and Immigration Services memo ordering an immediate pause on all asylum adjudications and a renewed security review for individuals from “high-risk” countries who entered the US after January 2021.

The affected nations include Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Venezuela, and Yemen, as well as other states with full or partial travel bans.

The policy came days after a shooting in Washington, DC, that left a National Guard member dead. The suspect, an Afghan national who arrived in 2021 and was granted asylum earlier this year, has fueled a debate over vetting procedures.

Rights groups say the administration is using the incident as a political justification for broad restrictions targeting entire populations.

Human Rights Watch told the Guardian that the measure “scapegoats entire nationalities,” warning: “This sweeping change is not about safety; it is about scapegoating entire nationalities for the actions of one individual. This policy will tear families apart, endanger people fleeing persecution and further damage US credibility on human rights.”

The National Immigrant Justice Center said the halt is likely to suspend the cases of thousands of applicants. “These actions will put countless individuals and families in limbo and jeopardize their right to due process and protection under US and international law,” it said.

CAIR urged Congress to open formal inquiries, describing the policy as a “politicized expansion” of immigration controls. “Punishing entire nationalities for the actions of a few is ineffective, discriminatory, and morally indefensible,” the organization’s director said.

Lawmakers condemned the administration's recent rhetoric as well, after President Trump singled out Somali migrants in public remarks.

Minnesota Rep. Ihan Omar labeled the comments racist and Islamophobic, while Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon called them "shameful, ugly, and un-American."