USCIS pauses all asylum decisions nationwide
USCIS has paused asylum decisions nationwide and halted processing of many immigration applications as part of a broader shift toward enforcement, instituting enhanced vetting and re‑reviews that agency leaders say are intended to tighten scrutiny. Officials and attorneys warn the move will reopen prior cases and slow adjudications for applicants from across the system, making already broad processing times — which can range roughly from a few weeks to several years — even harder to predict.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- USCIS has paused all asylum decisions nationwide and stopped processing many immigration applications entirely, including asylum.
- Agency leadership frames USCIS as being recast as an enforcement body and says it is instituting enhanced vetting, re-reviews and a new vetting center as part of a broader enforcement pivot.
- The pause includes reopening prior cases and heightening vetting, steps officials and experts say will slow decisions for all applicants—not just those from a set of 19 countries.
- Attorneys and advocates, including AILA’s Shev Dalal‑Dheini and attorney/former judge Anam Petit, warn the changes will produce system‑wide delays and greater uncertainty for applicants.
- USCIS processing times already vary widely (roughly 15 days to as long as 45 months); attorneys say those timelines will become harder to predict and are likely to lengthen under the new vetting regime.
đź“Š Relevant Data
In 2024, an estimated 260,000 people of Somali descent were living in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey.
What to know about Somalia after Trumps comments — MinnPost
Since 2015, there have been 3 jihadist terrorism incidents in the US involving immigrants from Somalia, resulting in 0 deaths and 23 injuries.
Terrorism in America After 9/11: Who Are the Terrorists? — New America
The Afghan diaspora in the United States is comprised of approximately 250,000 individuals who were either born in Afghanistan or reported Afghan ancestry as of 2023.
Afghan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
Since 2015, there has been 1 lethal jihadist terrorism incident in the US involving a US-born individual of Afghan descent, resulting in 49 deaths.
Terrorism in America After 9/11: Who Are the Terrorists? — New America
Approximately 400,000 Iranian-born people lived in the United States in the mid-2020s.
Iranian immigrants | Research Starters — EBSCO
Since 2015, there have been no jihadist terrorism incidents in the US involving immigrants from Iran or Venezuela.
Terrorism in America After 9/11: Who Are the Terrorists? — New America
đź“Š Analysis & Commentary (2)
"A critical opinion piece arguing the government and media are manufacturing and amplifying fear of migrants—using incidents as pretexts—to justify sweeping asylum freezes and politically useful scapegoating that harms due process and vulnerable people."
"An opinion piece arguing that recent events and the USCIS asylum pause have pushed the New York Times toward a more 'realist' immigration posture — a shift the author welcomes but treats as opportunistic and reactive rather than principled."
đź“° Sources (3)
- NPR reports USCIS 'stopped processing many immigration applications entirely, including for asylum,' situating the asylum freeze within a broader enforcement pivot and new vetting center.
- Adds agency leadership quotes (Edlow) framing USCIS as an enforcement agency and describing enhanced vetting and re-reviews.
- Axios details broader ripple effects: reopening of prior cases and heightened vetting expected to slow decisions for all applicants, not just those from the 19 countries.
- Processing‑time context: USCIS timelines range from as little as ~15 days to as long as ~45 months, with attorneys warning times will become harder to predict.
- New quotes from AILA’s Shev Dalal‑Dheini and attorney/former judge Anam Petit underscoring system‑wide delays and uncertainty.