The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the resumption of processing certain asylum applications that were previously paused. This decision follows a temporary suspension triggered by the shooting of two National Guard members by an asylum seeker.
USCIS clarified that the adjudicative hold has been lifted specifically for asylum seekers from countries deemed “non-high-risk,” who undergo thorough screening procedures. The agency emphasized that stringent vetting and security checks for immigrants will continue unabated. However, it did not specify which nations fall under the “non-high-risk” category.
The initial freeze on asylum claims was implemented in November after the Trump administration attributed the incident involving an Afghan immigrant, accused of shooting the National Guard members—one of whom later succumbed to injuries—to inadequate vetting protocols established during the Biden administration.
This suspension was part of a broader immigration crackdown initiated by President Donald Trump in response to the attack. Prior to this event, the administration had already intensified immigration restrictions, including a travel ban imposed in July on citizens from 12 countries. Following the shooting, this ban was expanded to cover an additional seven countries.
