Freetown, Sierra Leone – December 4, 2025 — A new directive from the United States government has placed an immediate freeze on asylum applications and several immigration benefits for nationals of Sierra Leone and 18 other countries, sparking widespread concern among affected families and diaspora communities.
The announcement, issued through Policy Memorandum PM-602-0192 by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on December 2, orders an “adjudicative hold” on all pending Form I-589 asylum applications.
The measure also suspends processing of other key immigration benefits, including green card applications, work permits, travel documents, naturalization requests, and parole petitions for individuals from the listed nations.
The freeze applies to both newly filed and longstanding cases. Additionally, USCIS has instructed that thousands of people who entered the U.S. from these countries since January 20, 2021, undergo fresh security vetting and re-interviews as part of a tightened screening effort.
Sierra Leone appears alongside countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Iran, Eritrea, Sudan, and others previously flagged in the June 2025 Presidential Proclamation 10949, which introduced various travel restrictions.
The full list of 19 affected countries includes: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.
The U.S. government says the policy was prompted by recent national security incidents, including a deadly shooting in Washington, D.C., involving an Afghan asylum holder, and a separate case involving an alleged terrorism plot. According to the memo, the freeze is intended to strengthen vetting procedures and “protect public safety.”
However, the move has been met with sharp criticism from immigrant-rights advocates and some U.S. lawmakers, who argue that it unfairly targets entire nationalities. Advocacy groups say the decision risks derailing family plans, delaying opportunities, and placing vulnerable people in prolonged uncertainty.
For Sierra Leoneans, the policy comes at a difficult time as many citizens continue to seek opportunities abroad amid economic challenges at home. Local migration advocates warn that thousands of Sierra Leonean cases could be affected.
As of Wednesday, Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not yet issued an official response. Community leaders, meanwhile, are urging affected persons to remain calm and to seek legal guidance where necessary.
USCIS has advised applicants to monitor their case status online through its official website.
