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The Trump administration has temporarily halted immigration applications, including green card requests, for individuals from 19 countries previously targeted by travel restrictions. The move follows recent policy changes prompted by the shooting of two National Guard troops. According to a policy memo posted Tuesday by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the pause affects decisions such as green card approvals and naturalizations for people from countries deemed high-risk. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow will determine when the suspension ends. Migrants brace for uncertainty under Trump’s new immigration restrictions Earlier this year, the administration banned travel from 12 countries and restricted access for seven more, citing security concerns. While earlier restrictions did not affect immigrants already in the U.S., the new directive subjects them to additional review, including potential interviews and referrals to law enforcement. USCIS plans to prioritize cases for review within 90 days, reflecting heightened scrutiny following the Thanksgiving week attack near the White House by an Afghan national. Critics argue the policy penalizes immigrants collectively. Source: AP 

Travelers across the United States saw mostly on-time departures Friday (7th November 2025), even as airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights to comply with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order tied to the ongoing government shutdown. Despite a relatively stable day of travel, concern grew over additional cancellations expected in the coming week as the FAA reduces flight operations at major airports. The agency’s order follows a rise in absences among unpaid air traffic controllers, many of whom have gone nearly a month without pay. While some travelers scrambled to adjust their plans—booking alternative flights or renting cars—the cancellations still represented a small portion of total U.S. air traffic. However, long lines and last-minute disruptions were reported at around 40 major airports, including Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, and Charlotte. Airlines said they anticipate minimal disruptions through the weekend, and international routes remain unaffected. But Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that if the shutdown continues past next week—when controllers miss another paycheck—flight cancellations could rise from 10% to as much as 20%. Long Lines and Creative Travel Solutions At Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, passengers waited in security lines that barely moved. “It was winding through every part of the terminal,” said traveler Cara Bergeron. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Read more: Wall Street set to open higher as investors eye earnings amid US shutdown Other travelers faced bigger challenges. Karen Soika, a surgeon from Connecticut, learned her Newark flight had been moved to JFK Airport—an hour away. When rental cars were unavailable, she decided to rent a U-Haul truck and drive cross-country to Utah, where she is consulting on a TV production. Rental car companies like Hertz reported a sharp uptick in one-way rentals. Airlines Work to Rebook Passengers According to flight-tracking site FlightAware, Friday’s 1,000-plus cancellations were about five times Thursday’s total. Reagan National Airport saw the highest impact, with 18% of flights grounded, while O’Hare, Atlanta, Denver, and Dallas-Fort Worth each lost around 3% of scheduled flights. United and American Airlines said they were able to rebook most passengers quickly, prioritizing cancellations on smaller regional routes to minimize disruptions. Delta canceled roughly 170 flights Friday, American about 220 per day through Monday, and Southwest around 120. The FAA said the flight reductions will start at 4% of operations at the busiest airports and gradually increase to 10% next week. “I just don’t want to end up stranded on an airport bench,” said traveler Michele Cuthbert of Columbus, Ohio. “Everyone’s paying the price for politics.” Experts warn that if the shutdown drags on, cargo shipments could also be affected, since nearly half of U.S. air freight moves in passenger aircraft. “Air travel is a core part of America’s economic infrastructure,” said Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group. “This will ripple through business, tourism, and freight.” Why the Cuts Are Happening The FAA said the service reductions aim to ease the burden on overworked controllers, many of whom are working six days a week with mandatory overtime. As financial stress mounts, more are calling out of work. “I don’t want to see delays or disruptions,” Secretary Duffy said Friday at Reagan National Airport. “But safety must come first.” Read more: Asian shares rise on Wall Street gains as tech stocks rally despite U.S. government shutdown The FAA’s decision comes as the Trump administration continues pressuring Congress to end the government shutdown. Even if an agreement is reached soon, officials said the reduced flight schedules will remain in place until staffing levels stabilize. At Denver International Airport, officials have opened a food pantry for unpaid federal workers and asked the FAA to approve using airport revenue to cover controller pay—so far, without response. What Travelers Can Do Airlines are navigating uncertain territory, said Loyola University Maryland professor Kerry Tan. “The unpredictability of the shutdown makes it difficult for carriers to plan efficiently,” he said. Passengers are entitled to full refunds for canceled flights, though airlines aren’t obligated to cover hotel or meal costs unless cancellations are within their control, according to the Department of Transportation. Travel adviser Christina Schlegel of Arlington, Virginia, advised passengers to stay calm, check flight updates regularly, and arrive early. “Think ahead,” she said. “Have a backup plan and know what other flight options are available.” Read more: Trump embarks on three-nation Asia tour, set to meet Xi as US shutdown persists

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot use its travel ban to prevent 80 already-vetted refugees from entering the United States, marking a significant setback for the policy. In a decision issued late Monday, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle stated that President Donald Trump's June executive order — which restricted entry from 12 countries — does not apply to refugees seeking asylum. “In other words, by its plain terms, the Proclamation excludes refugees from its scope,” the judge wrote. Whitehead ruled that denying entry to refugees would undermine their ability to apply for asylum, contradicting the very language of the presidential order. He directed the government to immediately resume processing the 80 “presumptively protected refugees” who had been rejected under the travel ban. The U.S. State Department has not issued a comment on the ruling. US manufacturing struggles persist despite subsidies and tariffs Whitehead also outlined a vetting framework for refugees from the 12 banned countries and others who were denied entry after the Trump administration suspended the U.S. refugee admissions program just hours after taking office on January 20. This suspension had left thousands of refugees — many already cleared after years of security screening — stranded in various parts of the world. Among them were family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel and over 1,600 Afghans who supported American forces during the war. Several refugees and aid organizations, whose funding was frozen by the administration, filed lawsuits. They later sought class-action status to extend the court’s ruling to similarly affected refugees. In May, Judge Whitehead said the suspension likely nullified Congress’s intent, noting that Congress had created and funded the refugee admissions program. He issued a preliminary injunction in February, halting the administration’s suspension of refugee processing and aid. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals paused much of that ruling in March, saying the administration was likely to prevail as the president holds broad authority over immigration decisions.

The US State Department has begun dismissing more than 1,300 employees as part of a sweeping reorganization under the Trump administration’s plan to downsize the federal government. According to CNN said the layoffs include 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service officers. Employees are being notified via email, with many placed on administrative leave—foreign service staff for 120 days and most civil servants for 60 days—before termination. “Nearly 3,000 members of the workforce will depart as part of the reorganization,” the notice said, including both involuntary and voluntary departures. “In connection with the Departmental reorganization first announced by the Secretary of State on April 22, 2025, the Department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,” the notice read. It said reductions target “non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices,” and those where “considerable efficiencies” can be gained through consolidation.   Trump plans to hike tariffs on Canadian goods to 35% Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently returning from Malaysia, said the overhaul was being carried out “probably in the most deliberate way of anyone that’s done one.” A senior official said the changes are “personnel agnostic,” focusing on functions no longer aligned with department goals. While overseas posts remain unaffected, many in Washington, DC, will be impacted. Thomas Yazdgerdi, president of the American Foreign Service Association, called the timing troubling. “There are horrible things that are happening in the world that require a tried-and-true diplomatic workforce,” he said, pointing to crises in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. Yazdgerdi warned the cuts could damage morale, recruitment, and retention. “We’re like the military,” he said. “If you’re going to RIF an office, we’re not tied to that office.”

A federal trial is set to begin Monday over a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's efforts to arrest and deport students and faculty who took part in pro-Palestinian protests and political activities. The lawsuit, brought by several university associations against President Donald Trump and his administration, is among the first of its kind to reach trial. The plaintiffs are asking U.S. District Judge William Young to declare the policy unconstitutional, arguing that it violates both the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies create and enforce regulations. “The policy’s effects have been swift. Noncitizen students and faculty across the United States have been terrified into silence," the plaintiffs stated in their pretrial brief. “Students and faculty are avoiding political protests, purging their social media, and withdrawing from public engagement with groups associated with pro-Palestinian viewpoints,” they added. “They’re abstaining from certain public writing and scholarship they would otherwise have pursued. They’re even self-censoring in the classroom.” Several academics are expected to testify, explaining how the policy and related arrests have forced them to abandon their advocacy for Palestinian rights and their criticism of Israeli government policies. Since Trump assumed office, immigration enforcement has increasingly targeted international students and scholars at American universities. Trump and his administration have accused some demonstrators and others of being aligned with “pro-Hamas” sentiments, referring to the Palestinian militant group behind the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Protesters, however, have said their demonstrations focus on opposing Israel’s conduct in the war. The plaintiffs name several activists in their complaint, including Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, who spent 104 days in federal immigration custody before being released last month. His detention has become emblematic of Trump’s broader crackdown on campus activism. Israeli airstrikes kill 14 Palestinians in Gaza, another 10 people die seeking food The case also mentions Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, who spent six weeks in immigration detention after being arrested in a Boston suburb. Ozturk claims she was unlawfully detained following an op-ed she co-authored criticizing Tufts’ response to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration provided universities with lists of individuals to target, initiated surveillance of social media, and used Trump’s own public remarks — including his statement after Khalil’s arrest that it was the “first arrest of many to come” — to back their claims. The government has countered that the plaintiffs are challenging a policy that doesn't formally exist. “They do not try to locate this program in any statute, regulation, rule, or directive. They do not allege that it is written down anywhere. And they do not even try to identify its specific terms and substance,” the government stated in court filings. “That is all unsurprising, because no such policy exists.” Officials also argue that the plaintiffs misunderstand how the First Amendment applies in the context of immigration, noting that constitutional protections differ for noncitizens under established Supreme Court precedent. In response, plaintiffs maintain that evidence presented at trial will show the administration implemented the policy in multiple ways, including formal guidance on revoking visas and green cards and creating mechanisms to identify those involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. "Defendants have described their policy, defended it, and taken political credit for it," plaintiffs argued. “It is only now that the policy has been challenged that they say, incredibly, that the policy does not actually exist. But the evidence at trial will show that the policy’s existence is beyond cavil.”

South Asia affairs expert Michael Kugelman has said the Trump administration has drastically cut foreign aid and has "little interest" in devoting resources to democracy promotion or nation-building in Bangladesh. Referring to recent telephone conversations between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Kugelman said the readouts of the Yunus-Rubio call from both governments suggest Washington now views its ties with Dhaka through the lenses of trade and great-power competition. Kugelman in Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief mentioned that the pair spoke about strengthening economic ties and partnering on enhancing security in the Indo-Pacific—the latter of which, for the United States, means countering China. Both goals present challenges for Dhaka, Kugelman said. Bangladesh faces a 37 percent US tariff if it does not work out a trade deal with Washington, said the Foreign Affairs expert. And it has long pursued a nonaligned foreign policy, aiming to balance ties with major powers rather than siding with or against them, Kugelman observed. Salehuddin proposes full duty withdrawal on 175 products ahead of US trade talks On Monday, Prof Yunus spoke on the phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marking one of the highest-level Bangladesh-US engagements to date during the second Trump administration. The call provides a window into how the United States may approach its relationship with Bangladesh—one that has shifted significantly since Trump returned to office, Kugelman said. During the final months of the Biden administration, US officials pledged new development aid and technical assistance for reforms to an interim government looking to rebuild democracy in Bangladesh after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country amid mass protests last August. During the phone call, both sides affirmed their ‘shared commitment’ to deepening economic ties between the two countries. The US Secretary of State and Chief Adviser also affirmed their shared commitment to ‘enhancing security and stability’ throughout the Indo-Pacific region. “The Secretary and Chief Adviser affirmed their shared commitment to deepening economic ties between the United States and Bangladesh and to enhancing security and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” said Spokesperson at the US Department Tammy Bruce after the telephone conversations. In April this year, Chief Adviser Prof Yunus held an emergency meeting with top experts, advisers and officials, giving necessary directives to deal with the US tariff issue. Finance adviser introduces new tariff, SD structure with eye on US trade deal The United States had announced a 37-percent tariff on imports from Bangladesh as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping new "Reciprocal Tariffs" policy. The government hopes that their ongoing discussion with the US government is expected to help address the tariff issue. A follow-up meeting is scheduled to take place in the US on July 8.

The United States is reducing the number of people deemed nonessential to operations in the Middle East, the State Department has announced. The U.S. is also authorizing nonessential personnel and family members to leave Bahrain and Kuwait, which will give them a choice on whether to leave those countries. The State Department said it made the orders after evaluating recent tensions, which are on the rise in the region as high-stakes nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran appear to have hit an impasse. Danish Parliament approves U.S. military base deal amid Greenland concerns Meanwhile President Donald Trump announced that China will make it easier for American industry to obtain magnets and rare earth minerals, clearing the way for trade talks to continue between the world’s two biggest economies. Trump also said Wednesday that the U.S. will stop efforts to revoke the visas of Chinese nationals on U.S. college campuses.

The Trump administration has asked federal agencies to cancel contracts with Harvard University worth about $100 million, intensifying the president’s clash with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university. The Trump administration asked federal agencies Tuesday to cancel contracts with Harvard University worth about $100 million, intensifying the president’s clash with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, AP reports. Donald Trump halts all new student visa interviews The government already has cancelled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants for the Ivy League school, which has pushed back on the administration’s demands for changes to several of its policies. A letter sent Tuesday from the General Services Administration, which oversees contracting and real estate for the federal government, directed agencies to review contracts with the university and seek alternate arrangements.

The Trump administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students in its escalating battle with the Ivy League school, saying thousands of current students must transfer to other schools or leave the country. The Department of Homeland Security announced the action Thursday, saying Harvard has created an unsafe campus environment by allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” to assault Jewish students on campus. It also accused Harvard of coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, saying it hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group as recently as 2024. “This means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the agency said in a statement. Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, accounting for more than a quarter of its student body. Most are graduate students, coming from more than 100 countries. Harvard called the action unlawful and said it's working to provide guidance to students. “This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission,” the university said in a statement. The Trump administration's clash with Harvard, the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, has intensified since it became the first to openly defy White House demands for changes at elite schools it has criticized as hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. The federal government has cut $2.6 billion in federal grants to Harvard, forcing it to self-fund much of its sprawling research operation. President Donald Trump has said he wants to strip the university of its tax-exempt status. The administration has demanded records of campus protests The threat to Harvard's international enrollment stems from an April 16 request from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who demanded that it provide information about foreign students that might implicate them in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation. Harvard sues Trump administration to stop the freeze of more than $2 billion in grants In a letter to Harvard on Thursday, Noem said the school's sanction is “the unfortunate result of Harvard's failure to comply with simple reporting requirements.” It bars Harvard from hosting international students for the upcoming 2025-26 school year. Noem said Harvard can regain its ability to host foreign students if it produces a trove of records on foreign students within 72 hours. Her updated request demands all records, including audio or video footage, of foreign students participating in protests or dangerous activity on campus. “This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” Noem said in a statement. The action revoked Harvard's certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which gives the school the ability to sponsor international students to get their visas and attend school in the United States. Harvard President Alan Garber earlier this month said the university has made changes to its governance over the past year and a half, including a broad strategy to combat antisemitism, but warned it would not budge on its “its core, legally-protected principles” over fears of retaliation. He said he wasn’t aware of evidence to support the administration's allegation that its international students were “more prone to disruption, violence, or other misconduct than any other students.” Students in Harvard College Democrats said the Trump administration is playing with students' lives to push a radical agenda and to quiet dissent. “Trump's attack on international students is text book authoritarianism — Harvard must continue to hold the line,” the group said in a statement. The administration drew condemnation from free speech groups, including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which said Noem is demanding a “surveillance state.” "This sweeping fishing expedition reaches protected expression and must be flatly rejected," the group said in a statement. Harvard rejects Trump’s demands, faces multi-billion-dollar funding freeze The revocation opens a new front in a closely watched battle Many of Harvard's punishments have come through a federal antisemitism task force that says the university failed to protect Jewish students from harassment and violence amid a nationwide wave of pro-Palestinian protests. Homeland Security officials echoed those concerns in their Thursday announcement. It offered examples, including a recent internal report at Harvard, finding that many Jewish students reported facing discrimination or bias on campus. It also tapped into concerns that congressional Republicans have raised about ties between U.S. universities and China. Homeland Security officials said Harvard provided training to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps as recently as 2024. As evidence, it provided a link to a Fox News article, which in turn cited a letter from House Republicans. Asked for comment on the alleged coordination with the Chinese Communist Party, a Harvard spokesperson said the university will be responding to the House Republicans' letter. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, called the latest action an “illegal, small-minded” overreach. “I worry that this is sending a very chilling effect to international students looking to come to America for education," he said. The Trump administration has leveraged the system for tracking international students’ legal status as part of its broader attempts to crack down on higher education. What was once a largely administrative database has become a tool of enforcement, as immigration officials revoked students’ legal status directly in the system. Harvard president Claudine Gay resigns amid plagiarism claims, backlash from antisemitism testimony Those efforts were challenged in court, leading to restorations of status and a nationwide injunction blocking the administration from pursuing further terminations.

On Monday, Hamas released Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American soldier who had been held captive in Gaza for over 19 months. The release was described as a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration and could potentially pave the way for renewed ceasefire talks with Israel. Alexander is the first hostage freed since Israel ended an eight-week truce with Hamas in March, triggering a wave of intense airstrikes on Gaza that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians. He was first handed over to the Red Cross, then transferred to Israeli forces, and subsequently flown by helicopter to a hospital in Tel Aviv. Israeli officials later shared images and footage of Alexander, looking pale but smiling, as he reunited emotionally with his mother and other relatives. Israel has promised to intensify its offensive, including by seizing Gaza and displacing much of the territory’s population again. Days before the ceasefire ended, Israel blocked all imports from entering the Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian crisis and sparking warnings about the risk of famine if the blockade isn’t lifted. Israel says the steps are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel’s terms. UK’s Starmer  announces stricter immigration plan; pledges sharp drop in migration numbers Wearing shirts emblazoned with his name, Alexander’s extended family gathered in Tel Aviv to watch the release. They chanted his name when the military said he was free, while in the city’s Hostage Square, hundreds of people broke out into cheers. Alexander’s grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, beamed. She said her grandson looked mostly all right in the first photo of him after nearly 600 days in captivity.   “He seemed like a man. He has really matured,” she said. Reports that Alexander cracked a joke on the phone while speaking to his mother for the first time did not surprise her. “He’s got such a sense of humor,” she said. Alexander was 19 when he was taken from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which set off the war in Gaza. In his hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, hundreds of supporters packed the streets, holding signs with his image and listening to speakers blasting Israeli music. As they watched the news of his release on a large screen, the crowd hugged and waved Israeli flags. Since he was taken hostage, supporters there gathered every Friday to march for the hostages’ release. Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with about 23 of them said to be alive. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals. Trump calls expected release ‘hopefully’ a step toward ending war Hamas announced its intention to release Alexander shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump was set to arrive Tuesday in the Middle East on the first official foreign trip of his second term. Trump on Sunday called the planned release “a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones.” “Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!” Trump said on social media. Trump, who is traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, is not scheduled to stop in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday with the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, and discussed efforts to release the remaining hostages, his office said.   Netanyahu “directed that a negotiations team leave for Doha tomorrow,” the prime minister’s office said, adding that Netanyahu “made it clear that the negotiations would only take place under fire.” Netanyahu said Alexander’s release “was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. This is a winning combination.” The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of hostages, welcomed the news that an Israeli delegation was headed to the Qatari capital for talks. “Prime Minister Netanyahu, the ball is in your court,” the group said in a statement after Alexander was released. It urged the prime minister to announce that he was ready to negotiate a deal for the return of all remaining hostages and end the war. “Don’t miss this historic opportunity facing the State of Israel. Prove to the Israeli public and President Trump that you are willing to take a regional initiative that transcends narrow political considerations,” the group said.