The Trump administration has ordered a complete halt to all asylum decisions in the United States 🇺🇸 following a National Guard shooting involving an Afghan national, creating sudden shock and confusion for thousands of people with pending protection claims. Announced on November 29, 2025, the freeze applies to every asylum case, both new and pending, no matter the person’s nationality, personal story, or the strength of their evidence.
According to the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, immigration officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and immigration judges at the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) have been told to stop making asylum decisions until further notice. Interviews may still be scheduled or held in some places, but officers and judges are not allowed to approve or deny any claim for now. There is no published end date, and officials have not given a public timeline for how long this freeze will last.
What applicants can still do now
The announcement raised an immediate, practical question: can applicants still submit new evidence, especially country conditions reports showing fresh violence, political changes, or human rights abuses? According to analysis by VisaVerge.com and guidance from major legal groups, the answer is yes.
- Applicants can still mail or upload documents, and agencies will receive and store them in case files.
- USCIS and EOIR have not issued any rule blocking the filing of evidence.
- Lawyers report that updated documents—such as country conditions reports, human rights reports, news articles, or personal affidavits—are logged and placed in the person’s file as usual.
- However, officers and judges are not reviewing or weighing that evidence while the freeze remains in place.
In practice, this means applicants can continue to build their record now, but there is no guarantee when an official will actually read it.
Legal-community guidance and recommendations
Advocacy groups such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the National Immigration Forum urge asylum seekers to keep their files as strong and up to date as possible.
They recommend that applicants:
- Continue sending new reports, especially if there has been a coup, new conflict, or targeted attacks against a group.
- Keep copies and delivery receipts for every packet sent to USCIS or the court.
- Maintain organized records in case of later disputes about filing dates or misplaced records.
“No action will be taken on cases until further notice,” — groups echo the government’s message that processing is paused across the board.
Why country-conditions reports remain important
For many applicants, updated country conditions reports are not just paperwork. These documents often explain why a person cannot safely return home, backing up their fear with data from respected sources like international organizations or human rights monitors.
- Events such as a journalist’s arrest, passage of anti-LGBTQ laws, or armed groups expanding into new regions can change how a judge views a case.
- Under normal circumstances, such changes can be decisive in asylum decisions.
- Under the current freeze, these reports still matter for the future, but they do not move a case forward today.
Practical effects on pending cases and hearings
The freeze is especially harmful for applicants who were close to a final decision.
- Some had completed interviews or full hearings and were awaiting written decisions; even if a decision was drafted, it cannot be issued now.
- People expecting to learn within days whether they could stay and work legally in the U.S. must now wait indefinitely, risking work-permit delays, family separation, or removal orders left unresolved.
Procedurally, new asylum applications are still being accepted. USCIS continues to receive Form I-589 (Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal), which is available on the agency’s website at Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal.
- Filing the form now does not mean the case will be decided soon; it only places the person in the system.
- Official guidance on the basic asylum process, though not yet updated to reflect the freeze, remains on the USCIS asylum information page at USCIS Asylum.
Inside immigration court, practices vary:
- Some judges hold short status hearings instead of full trials, update the record, and set new dates far into the future.
- In other places, hearings proceed with testimony and country conditions reports presented as usual—yet judges have told attorneys they are not allowed to issue a ruling.
- This creates an unusual situation: a complete trial with the final step blocked for political reasons rather than legal ones.
Political and human impacts
The administration says the pause is necessary for a security review after the National Guard incident, linking the shooting to the broader asylum system. Critics dispute that connection and argue the move punishes people unrelated to the case.
- Opponents warn that delaying protection for people in real danger can have deadly results if they are forced to wait in unsafe conditions abroad.
- They also note the harm of denying access to work and housing in the U.S. while files remain untouched.
Behind the legal debate are real-life consequences:
- Families who escaped war now have futures tied to a freeze they cannot control.
- Parents worry about traveling for work, fearing traffic stops or immigration checks while their status is unresolved.
- Young people who hoped to enroll in school or training programs face longer uncertainty and cannot plan beyond a few weeks.
What to do now — practical checklist
- Continue submitting updated evidence (country reports, affidavits, news articles).
- Keep copies, timestamps, and delivery receipts for every submission.
- Monitor court or USCIS notices closely and follow any instructions.
- Stay in contact with your attorney or legal aid organization.
- Prepare files as if adjudications will restart suddenly and with a large backlog.
Important: Until an official order lifts the freeze on asylum decisions, the growing stack of country conditions reports and personal evidence will remain stored in files, waiting for a time when decision-makers are again allowed to act.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice are expected to issue more detailed internal instructions to staff in the coming weeks, though there is no guarantee those memos will be public. Until an official order lifts the freeze, applicants’ best course is to keep building their record and watch for formal public statements from the government.
On Nov. 29, 2025, the administration froze all asylum decisions nationwide, stopping USCIS and EOIR from approving or denying cases. Applicants can still file Form I-589 and submit updated evidence—such as country conditions reports—which will be stored in files but not reviewed during the pause. Advocacy groups recommend continuing to submit documents, keeping delivery receipts, and staying in touch with legal counsel while awaiting a public timeline for resumption.
