Asylum Decisions Paused — Thousands of US Asylum Seekers Left in Limbo

Overview: Announcements that the administration has paused asylum adjudications, suspended certain visas for Afghans who assisted U.S. efforts, and is reviewing green-card applications from countries deemed "of concern" have plunged many asylum seekers into deeper uncertainty. Officials say the actions could affect as many as 1.5 million pending asylum claims with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Impact on asylum seekers

"People say that fear travels faster than information. And that’s exactly what has happened," said Reza Hussaini, a 23-year-old asylum applicant from Afghanistan who arrived in the U.S. in 2022 and is still waiting for an interview. Many people with pending claims now face longer waits, increased anxiety and the prospect that decisions they had hoped would resolve their status will be delayed.

The policy changes were announced after a shooting in Washington, D.C., that killed two National Guard members; officials say the suspect is an Afghan national. The administration followed with a series of measures described as a broad effort to curtail legal migration pathways, including a pause on affirmative asylum adjudications while agencies review vetting procedures.

Personal accounts

Hussaini says he survived two terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, worked with nonprofit groups advocating for education and women's rights, and was detained and questioned by the Taliban in 2021 before fleeing via Pakistan. "It kind of puts me in a corner," he said. "Even more than fear, it’s uncertainty about what my status could be, what’s going to happen next, what my future is going to look like. What if I get deported back to Afghanistan — back to a government that sees me as the enemy?"

Another asylum seeker, identified as Amir to protect his privacy, crossed into the U.S. via Mexico last year and remains uncertain about whether the changes will affect his defensive asylum case. "I don’t know exactly what it means, but I know everyone with a pending case is worried," he said. Amir is Hazara, a Shia minority in Afghanistan that has faced escalating persecution since 2021.

Advocates also describe the emotional toll on people who worked with U.S. forces and narrowly secured asylum after long processes. One former interpreter who served U.S. troops for two decades told Hussaini he worries his status could be imperiled — a concern that would feel like "starting everything from zero again." Hussaini described his own struggle to cope: "The only way I can escape is I just run every few hours to the gas station to get some coffee and drink it, just to calm my mind. It’s hard. It’s devastating."

Legal and procedural questions

USCIS director Joseph B. Edlow said the agency "has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible." Legal experts expect many of the new measures to face court challenges, and advocates warn that singling out refugees and Afghans risks collective punishment.

Legal groups note the distinction between "affirmative" asylum applications — filed by people physically present in the U.S. and not in removal proceedings — and "defensive" claims, which are raised by individuals facing removal and adjudicated in immigration court. The announced pause applies to affirmative cases, but the broader effects on the immigration system and on green-card reviews remain unclear.

What’s next

Immigration lawyers and advocacy organizations are preparing legal responses and working to reassure clients that not all announced measures will necessarily withstand legal scrutiny. Still, the immediate result is a deepening of uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of people awaiting resolution of their claims.

Key voices: Reza Hussaini (asylum applicant), Faisal Al-Juburi (Raíces), Yliana Johansen-Méndez (Immigrant Defenders Law Center), Dave Meyer (Bloomington Refugee Support Network) and other advocates and lawyers are actively tracking developments and advising clients.