USCIS Pauses All Asylum Decisions After the National Guard Shooting

The Trump administration on Friday directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to stop making decisions on all asylum cases, an indefinite pause that applies to every nationality, in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, CBS News and NPR reported.

Asylum officers were told not to approve, deny or close applications, according to an internal notice obtained by CBS News and two sources. “Do not enter any decision information for affirmative cases,” the notice said. Officers may continue interviews and review cases up to decision entry; “once you’ve reached decision entry, stop and hold,” it said. In-person appointments to learn decisions were canceled, at least for Monday. The pause applies to all USCIS asylum cases, including those of Afghans who arrived under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome, CBS News reported.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow 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,” CBS News and NPR reported.

The suspect in the shooting, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in September 2021 through humanitarian parole and was granted asylum this spring under the Trump administration, CBS News reported; NBC News said a Department of Homeland Security official put his asylum grant earlier in 2025. NPR said he had worked with the CIA to fight the Taliban before being admitted in 2021 because of that service.

This was one of several steps. CBS News said officials first paused processing of all legal immigration applications from Afghans, then Mr. Edlow ordered a “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of green card cases for nationals of the 19 countries named in a June proclamation, with NPR and NBC News also reporting the review. NPR noted the June proclamation placed a travel ban on 12 countries and partial restrictions on seven more.

On Thursday night Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social that he would “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries,” CBS News and NPR reported, and NPR quoted him adding “Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation.” The White House has not publicly clarified what actions would be taken to carry out the announcement, CBS News said. During a Thanksgiving call with service members he called the shooting a terrorist attack and blamed the Biden administration for the suspect’s entry, NPR reported.

The Department of Homeland Security said it is reviewing all asylum cases approved under former President Biden, NPR and NBC News reported. The administration describes the measures as bolstering its ability to prevent similar attacks, CBS News reported.