The Trump administration has halted all immigration applications filed by people from 19 countries, according to internal government guidance, its latest move to restrict legal immigration pathways.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the new directive in a Dec. 2 policy memo. The agency cited concerns about national security and public safety following the shooting of two National Guard members by a suspect of Afghan nationality. One was killed and another seriously wounded.

The greater Sacramento area is home to one of the nation's largest Afghan refugee communities, now impacted by the freeze on immigration from Afghanistan.

Sen. Ted Cruz's 2021 warnings about inadequate vetting of Afghan refugees appeared validated after recent attacks by evacuees contradicted CNN's fact-check.

The Trump administration said it would reduce the period of time that work permits are valid for refugees, asylees and other immigrants granted legal protections in the U.S.

The changes include a pause on all asylum decisions, c Green Card vetting, and a halt on all visas for Afghans.

A Fox News journalist reported late Wednesday that the Afghan-born man who shot two National Guard troops deployed in Washington, D.C., entered the United States under former President Joe Biden's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.