12/2/2025
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Washington state chapter (CAIR-WA) is closely tracking the recent immigration-related announcements made by President Trump after the tragic National Guard shooting in Washington, D.C. on November 24. These announcements have understandably caused concern, confusion, and uncertainty within our community.
At this time, we want to reassure the Muslim community that public statements and proposals do not have legal force until they are implemented through official policy or regulatory action. However, we do understand that inflammatory public statements can lead to increased discrimination and hate against Muslim and immigrant communities. Please reach out to CAIR-WA at (206) 367-4081 or cairwa.org/gethelp if you or someone you know experiences hate or discrimination.
What has changed
As of 12/2/2025, the only official change that has been issued is the following.
On November 27, USCIS announced new guidance, based on President Trump’s June 2025 Travel Ban, that allows immigration officers to look more closely at applicants from certain countries they consider “high-risk.” There are 19 countries on this list.*
Under this guidance, officers can consider negative factors that are specific to a person’s home country when deciding an immigration case.
This means that if you are from one of these countries, USCIS may look at issues such as security concerns, instability, terrorism-related activity in that country, or other risks the government believes are associated with that region. This does not mean you will automatically be denied, but it means your case may receive extra scrutiny, and officers may ask for more evidence or explanations.
FBI Contact
CAIR-WA is also aware that there are concerns regarding FBI visits to community members. Please visit our extensive know-your-rights information regarding FBI and law enforcement here. If you are contacted by the FBI or law enforcement, please contact CAIR-WA.
Support from CAIR-WA
CAIR-WA is actively monitoring all developments and will provide timely updates once clear, concrete guidelines or policies are released. As soon as USCIS or other agencies publish actionable information, we will share detailed guidance to help our community understand any impacts and next steps.
If you have specific concerns about your immigration case, or how any of the new announcements affect your individual case, please contact CAIR-WA at (206) 367-4081 or cairwa.org/gethelp to schedule a legal consultation. Our team is here to support you, answer questions, and ensure you receive accurate, individualized guidance.
We remain committed to protecting the rights, safety, and dignity of our community.
Please stay connected with us for further updates.
*These 19 countries are: Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.