Officials Pause All Asylum Decisions and Implement Enhanced Vetting Following National Guard Shooting

In the wake of a deadly shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been instructed to pause all asylum decisions until further notice.

Asylum officers at USCIS, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, have been told to refrain from approving, denying or closing affirmative asylum applications received by the agency.

The directive comes after authorities reported that the perpetrator of the shooting was an Afghan national who had previously been granted asylum.

Officials have framed the pause as a measure to “reassess immigration and vetting procedures” in light of public safety concerns. This decision will create delays for thousands of asylum seekers who are already navigating a complex and uncertain system.

In-person appointments for applicants seeking updates on their cases are also canceled until further notice.

According to internal guidance, officers may continue conducting asylum interviews and reviewing cases up to the point of issuing a decision. “Once you’ve reached decision entry, stop and hold,” the directive stated.

On November 28^th USCIS Director Joseph Edlow confirmed the news on X.

USCIS Enacts Stricter Screening Measures

Following the shooting, the Trump administration also announced a series of measures it says are aimed at reducing the risk of similar attacks.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated that, at President Trump’s direction, he had ordered a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of green card cases involving nationals affected by a presidential proclamation that partially or fully suspended travel and immigration from 19 countries.

This list, issued in June and referred to by the White House as a “travel ban,” includes Afghanistan, several Middle Eastern and Asian nations such as Iran, as well as African countries including Somalia and Sudan, and also Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela.

USCIS published a policy Thursday allowing adjudicators to cite difficulties in vetting and verifying applicants from these countries as a potential reason to deny green card applications.

The policy notes that “certain countries (including but not limited to Afghanistan, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, and Venezuela) lack a competent or central authority for issuing passports and civil documents,” which complicates USCIS’ ability to assess eligibility and exercise discretion.

At the same time, President Trump announced on Truth Social a plan to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries,” claiming his administration would revoke citizenship for individuals deemed to “undermine domestic tranquility” and deport foreigners considered “a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.” The White House has not yet provided details on how these measures would be implemented.

The situation remains fluid. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.

Contact Us. If you would like to schedule a consultation, please text 619-483-4549 or call 619-819-9204.

Helpful Links

JOIN OUR NEW FACEBOOK GROUP

Need more immigration updates? We have created a new facebook group to address the impact of the new executive orders and other changing developments. Follow us there!