USCIS pauses all asylum decisions nationwide
USCIS on Friday ordered asylum officers to halt approving, denying, or closing all affirmative asylum cases nationwide in response to the D.C. National Guard shooting, according to internal guidance and a statement from Director Joe Edlow. Officers may continue interviews and file reviews but must ‘stop and hold’ at decision-entry; in-person decision appointments were canceled at least for Monday, and the pause applies to all nationalities.
📌 Key Facts
- Date/agency: USCIS directive issued Friday, Nov. 28, 2025; confirmed by Director Joe Edlow.
- Scope: Indefinite pause on all affirmative asylum adjudications for all nationalities.
- Operations: Interviews/reviews may proceed; no approvals/denials/closures; some decision appointments canceled at least for Monday.
📊 Relevant Data
Since August 2021, the U.S. government and its partners have resettled more than 130,000 Afghans in the United States.
PROPOSED REFUGEE ADMISSIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 — U.S. Department of State
Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans.
Immigrants less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born — NPR
Undocumented immigrants in Texas had a criminal conviction rate 45% below that of native-born citizens from 2012 to 2018.
Comparing crime rates between undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and native-born US citizens in Texas — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
An Afghan national was arrested in October 2024 for plotting an Election Day terrorist attack in the name of ISIS.
Afghan National Arrested for Plotting an Election Day Terrorist Attack in the Name of ISIS — U.S. Department of Justice
Data errors were found in USCIS and ICE records for Afghan evacuees under Operation Allies Welcome.
OIG-24-24 May 6, 2024 — Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security
📊 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."