Overview
- Government data and multiple news analyses show immigrant visas fell to about 26,000 in February 2026 from a pre‑Trump monthly average near 52,000, roughly a 50 percent decline.
- The administration implemented layered measures including expanded travel bans, multi‑country visa pauses, an immigrant‑visa interview freeze, changes to refugee allocations, and suspension of the diversity‑visa program.
- Independent analysis finds particularly sharp drops for nationals of many Muslim‑majority countries, with some reports showing declines greater than 90 percent and Cato reporting Afghan admissions falling from 5,563 to nine between December 2024 and February 2026.
- Federal courts in at least two lawsuits ordered the government to resume issuing visas in August, but many applicants remain delayed and consular backlogs persist.
- The slowdown has stalled family reunifications and refugee resettlement in some places and has also driven declines in student, work, and tourist visas while the White House publicly highlighted the lower totals.