The United States has officially halted all asylum claim decisions. This decisive action follows a shooting incident in Washington D.C. that resulted in the death of one National Guard soldier and left another critically injured.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director, Joseph Edlow, announced the US asylum processing halt. He stated the pause will remain in effect “until we can ensure the maximum possible vetting and screening for every alien.”
This directive to stop all US asylum processing came just hours after President Donald Trump pledged to “permanently pause migration” from what he referred to as “third world countries.” Officials have accused an Afghan national of perpetrating the Wednesday shooting.
While initial remarks focused on Afghanistan, the new policy has a much broader scope. According to reports from CBS News, the USCIS—a branch of the Department of Homeland Security—must not approve, deny, or close any asylum applications, regardless of the applicant’s nationality.
This comprehensive US asylum processing halt means officers can still work on applications and review cases, but they cannot issue final decisions. Few specific details about the Friday directive are currently public.
President Trump did not specify which countries his broader migration pause would affect. This policy will likely face legal challenges and has already drawn criticism from UN agencies.
These recent announcements mark a significant further tightening of the administration’s immigration stance.
Alongside the US asylum processing halt, the President is pushing for mass deportations of illegal migrants, reducing refugee admissions, and ending birthright citizenship for many children born on U.S. soil.
