Trump administration halts all asylum decisions, freezing 2.2 million cases

Following the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national near the White House, USCIS ordered adjudicators to stop issuing final decisions on all 1.5 million affirmative asylum applications. Combined with immigration court cases, the freeze affected approximately 2.2 million people awaiting decisions. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow directed a 90-day review. The move came alongside a broader crackdown targeting nationals from 19 countries.