The Trump administration has told US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers to stop making any asylum decisions for now, CBS reported. This order went out on Friday, just days after two National Guard soldiers were shot in Washington, DC. One of the guards has died. The suspected attacker is an Afghan man who was granted asylum earlier this year.
The directive, which CBS News first obtained, instructs asylum officers not to approve, deny, or close any asylum case until further notice. Two people familiar with the order also confirmed the pause.
US halts all asylum decisions after DC shooting
The move comes as the administration steps up immigration restrictions following Wednesday’s attack. According to the officials, the shooting suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the US in 2021 during President Joe Biden’s term, under a humanitarian parole program created after the Taliban takeover. He applied for asylum in 2024 and was approved this spring, during Trump’s second term.
After the attack, the Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would review asylum approvals granted under the Biden administration as well.
In a statement to CBS News, USCIS Director Joe Edlow confirmed the pause. He said, “USCIS has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible. The safety of the American people always comes first.”
What USCIS officers were told
Internal notices sent to asylum officers told them to stop making decisions on every asylum case, regardless of which country the applicant is from. This applies to:
- Regular “affirmative” cases handled directly by USCIS
- Cases filed by Afghans who came through Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome”
- Applicants who were scheduled for a decision interview next week
Some officers received a clear directive: “Do not enter any decision information for affirmative cases.” They were also told that in-person decision appointments for Monday would be cancelled. Officers may continue doing interviews and reviewing files, but must stop once they reach the final step. “Once you’ve reached decision entry, stop and hold.”
Sharp rise in Indian asylum seekers to US
A study by Johns Hopkins University shows a big jump in the number of Indians seeking asylum in the US. The numbers have gone from 9,000 in 2018 to 51,000 in 2023, a rise of 466% in five years.
However, government data from 2022 shows a 60% drop in the population of undocumented Indians in the US since its peak in 2016. This means the total number of Indians living illegally in the US fell from 560,000 to 220,000.
Many Indians attempt to enter the US illegally and then claim asylum, saying they fear persecution in India. US law allows these immigrants to present their case in court if they pass an initial screening at the border.
The study comes after 104 illegal immigrants were deported to India earlier this Year, under Trump’s second Presidential term. On February 5, a US military plane carrying deportees landed in Amritsar, with images of handcuffed men sparking strong reactions in India.
Trump’s immigration crackdown after White House shooting
The halt on asylum decisions is just one part of the big actions the Trump administration rolled out after the attack. Here’s what else was announced:
- Pause on immigration cases from Afghanistan
- Officials said all legal immigration applications from Afghan nationals, including green cards, citizenship, work permits, and asylum, have now been paused indefinitely.
- Review of Green cards from 19 countries
Edlow also said he has ordered a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of green card cases from 19 countries listed under the administration’s earlier travel restrictions. These nations include Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and others.Trump imposes travel ban on 12 countries from June 9, restrictions on 7 others
A new USCIS policy published Thursday says green card cases can now be denied if officers believe they cannot reliably verify an applicant’s identity or background because their home country lacks proper passport or document systems.
Late Thursday, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he plans to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries.” He also said his administration would:Revoke citizenship from people who “undermine domestic tranquillity”
Deport anyone considered a public charge, security risk, or “non-compatible with Western Civilisation”
