The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said the Trump administration’s sweeping decision to indefinitely suspend immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries is a “cruel, unjustified and bigoted” policy that undermines American values and divides American families from their relatives overseas.
The policy, which is scheduled to take effect January 21, 2026, targets majority Black, Brown and Global South nations, and will disproportionately impact communities of color and immigrant populations around the world – including significant numbers of people from Muslim-majority nations.
The U.S. State Department said the suspension applies to immigrant visas – including family-based and employment-based pathways to lawful permanent residence – for citizens of countries the administration has characterized as “likely to require public assistance.”
“This is a cruel, unjustified and bigoted policy that harms immigrants and divides American families,” said CAIR’s National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “By halting legal immigration pathways for entire countries based on broad, prejudicial criteria, this policy is tearing families apart and undermining our nation’s historic commitment to refuge and opportunity – especially for communities already facing systemic bigotry.”
The countries affected by the suspension whose citizens will see immigrant visa processing paused include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
These countries represent diverse regions of North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, and include long-standing U.S. immigrant-origin communities.
This suspension represents one of the broadest curbs on legal immigration in decades. It comes against a backdrop of other aggressive immigration actions by the administration and risks deepening existing divisions and inequities.
CAIR firmly rejects any policy that automatically blocks entire populations with restrictive measures that disrupt families, suppress economic opportunity, and fuel xenophobia.
The civil rights group is calling on Congress, community leaders, faith bodies, and civil rights advocates to publicly oppose this policy and defend immigrant communities. We urge lawmakers to champion immigration reforms aligned with human dignity, fairness, and equal opportunity for all.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com