Asylum and Refugees

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.