Trump Visa Restrictions Cut Legal Immigration in Half, to Lowest Levels Since the Depression

The State Department issued about 26,000 immigrant visas abroad in February 2026, roughly half the pre-2025 monthly average of 52,000, a New York Times review of government figures reported October 18, 2026. The Times tied the drop to a January 2026 expansion of travel restrictions and a separate issuance pause, layered on a December 2025 suspension of the diversity visa program. Declines were steepest in Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East; issuances to Muslim-majority countries fell more than 90%.

The Cato Institute, using a broader measure including refugee admissions, said the total fell from 21,096 in December 2024 to 808 in February 2026 — the largest contraction outside the pandemic since the Hoover era, per the think tank, which favors higher immigration. The administration said the restrictions improve "screening of visa applicants for security risks."

Federal courts in two lawsuits ordered the government to resume issuing visas at the end of August 2026, though most affected applicants were still waiting as of this report.