(ISRAEL) — Israel recorded a roughly one-third drop in immigration in 2025 as arrivals from Russia fell 57%, while U.S. officials reported a parallel 37% decline in several key 🇺🇸 immigration measures tied to 2025 policy shifts at DHS and USCIS.
Israel: Sharp decline driven by fall in Russian arrivals
Russian immigration to Israel fell from 19,500 in 2024 to roughly 8,300 in 2025, driving the steepest year‑on‑year change cited in the figures linked to the December 29, 2025 report by The Times of Israel.
- The overall Israeli immigration decrease was about one-third year‑on‑year.
- The 57% drop in Russian arrivals was the single largest contributor to that decline.
United States: Broad contraction across enforcement and benefits
U.S. government data and statements issued during 2025 described a broad contraction across enforcement encounters, work authorizations, refugee resettlement, and other immigration channels.
- As of November 2025, DHS reported total enforcement encounters along the southwest border were 37% lower than the monthly average of the previous administration.
- USCIS data from September 2025 showed 37% fewer work authorization applications (Form I‑765) than in September 2024.
“The numbers don’t lie—under President Trump’s leadership, DHS and CBP have shattered records and delivered the most secure border in American history. The world is hearing our message: the border is closed to law breakers,”
— Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, remarks dated July 2, 2025.May 2026 Final Action Dates
India China ROW EB-1 Apr 01, 2023 Apr 01, 2023 Current EB-2 Jul 15, 2014 Sep 01, 2021 Current EB-3 Nov 15, 2013 Jun 15, 2021 Jun 01, 2024 F-1 Sep 01, 2017 ▲123d Sep 01, 2017 ▲123d Sep 01, 2017 ▲123d F-2A Aug 01, 2024 ▲182d Aug 01, 2024 ▲182d Aug 01, 2024 ▲182d “USCIS has taken an ‘America First’ approach, restoring order, security, integrity, and accountability to America’s immigration system, ensuring that it serves the nation’s interests and protects and prioritizes Americans over foreign nationals,”
— USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow, end‑of‑year statement dated December 22, 2025.
DHS policy actions and pauses
A DHS policy line issued December 2, 2025 set out an immediate processing halt for a defined group:
“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to [high‑risk] nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” the statement said.
Key policy steps described in the U.S. summary:
- Presidential Proclamation 10949 (June 4, 2025): Restricted entry for nationals from 19 “high‑risk” countries; by December 2025 the list was expanded to nearly 30 countries.
- “Hold and Review” memo (December 2, 2025): Mandated a hold on all pending asylum applications and re‑review of benefits for individuals from high‑risk countries who entered the U.S. after January 20, 2021.
- Interviews for this population were declared mandatory and non‑waivable: “interviews for this population shall not be waived under any circumstance.”
- Diversity Immigrant Visa program suspended (December 18, 2025): DHS cited a goal “to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this program,” and described the suspension as driven by security concerns.
- Termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several nations (including Ethiopia, Burma, and Venezuela), a move described as affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. No single consolidated TPS impact figure was provided.
- (See official DHS announcements on TPS determinations and terminations.)
Effects on applications, resettlement, and status
- DHS described enforcement encounters as down 37% compared with the previous administration’s monthly average (figures through November 2025).
- USCIS reported 37% fewer Form I‑765 work authorization applications in September 2025 vs September 2024.
- Refugee resettlement contracted sharply: by mid‑2025, only one‑third as many refugees had been resettled in the U.S. compared to the same period in 2024.
- An estimated 1.6 million individuals who previously held legal status via parole or TPS were described as facing potential deportation or “legal limbo” as of December 2025.
New deportation approaches and bilateral arrangements
The U.S. summary said the United States began using bilateral arrangements to deport asylum seekers to third countries they have never visited. In December 2025, reports surfaced of Russian nationals and their children being ordered deported to Uganda under the new protocols.
Russian migration trends on both sides
Russian migration pressures were visible in both the Israeli and U.S. accounts, albeit through different metrics and legal channels.
- Israel: immigration totals fell sharply, with Russian arrivals dropping from 19,500 (2024) to ~8,300 (2025).
- U.S.: asylum trends showed sustained filings—Russians filed over 15,000 asylum applications since 2022—but approval rates fell.
- Approval rates for Russian asylum seekers dropped from 72% in 2024 to 46% by late 2025. The summary did not break these rates down by month or by immigration court location.
Summary takeaway
Together, the figures and policy descriptions depict a year in which immigration tightened through multiple channels:
- Increased border enforcement measures reported by DHS (encounters down 37%).
- Changes to benefit adjudication and work authorization procedures reported by USCIS (Form I‑765 filings down 37%).
- Policy instruments halting or restricting processing for designated “high‑risk” nationals and suspending programs (Presidential Proclamation 10949, Hold and Review memo, Diversity Visa suspension, TPS terminations).
- A separate, sharp drop in immigration to Israel driven primarily by a 57% fall in Russian arrivals.
Important: Several measures described were dated December 2, 2025, December 18, 2025, December 22, 2025, December 29, 2025, and July 2, 2025 and reflect policies and statistics current through late 2025.
Immigration trends in 2025 show a sharp global contraction. Israel experienced a 57% drop in Russian arrivals, while the U.S. saw a 37% decline across border encounters and work permits. These shifts are tied to aggressive policy changes, including the suspension of the Diversity Visa program, the ‘Hold and Review’ memo, and the termination of TPS for hundreds of thousands of residents from nations like Ethiopia and Venezuela.
