USCIS halts all Asylum decisions

Trump Admin Halts All Asylum Decisions, Pauses Afghan Visas

"The announcements are part of a wave of immigration-related orders from the administration after two National Guard members were shot near the White House.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it halted all asylum decisions, “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow wrote in an X post. “The safety of the American people always comes first.”

On the same day, the U.S. Department of State said on X that it “has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” adding that it “is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.”

The USCIS announced the pause after it stopped processing all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals following the shooting of two National Guard members, one killed and the other injured, on Nov. 26 near the White House.

For an immigrant to be eligible for asylum, the applicant must “have a fear of persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or their inclusion in a particular social group,” according to the Refugee Council USA.

Friday night’s announcements are part of a wave of immigration-related orders from the Trump administration." [The Epoch Times]