Trump Suspends All Immigrant Applications

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended all immigrant applications from Latin American countries and Ukraine that were allowed entry into the U.S. under former President Joe Biden. This was reported by CBS News on February 18, citing two American officials.

The decision by U.S. authorities pertains to migrants applying for various immigration benefits that would allow them to legally stay in the U.S. The applications have been frozen indefinitely while officials investigate potential fraud and improve verification procedures.

The ban applies to several programs established under Biden's administration that allowed foreigners to temporarily remain in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons. These programs included Uniting for Ukraine, which permitted Ukrainians to enter the U.S. under temporary status with financial sponsors. Another program known as CHNV targeted individuals from Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Cuba who have sponsors in the United States. A third program was open to those from Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, and Cuba who have relatives in the United States.

In January, the Trump administration suspended new migrant entries under programs that allowed foreigners to temporarily reside in the United States, including the Uniting for Ukraine initiative. Meanwhile, some foreigners were already in the U.S. awaiting permission to reside permanently in the country.

As many foreigners who arrived in the U.S. under these three programs had only received temporary work permits and two years of protection from deportation, some have applied for other immigration benefits, according to lawyers. However, U.S. authorities have decided that officials from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will no longer process applications for these programs or any other benefits if they are submitted by migrants granted entry during Biden's tenure.