True or false: The asylum decision freeze affected only new asylum applications, not cases already pending.

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This statement is false. The asylum decision freeze affected all asylum cases, including the more than 2.2 million cases already pending before USCIS and the immigration courts. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow announced that asylum officers would continue conducting interviews but would not issue final decisions on any cases until further notice. This meant that asylum seekers who had been waiting years for their cases to be adjudicated faced additional indefinite delays. The freeze on pending cases was particularly significant because the immigration court backlog had already grown to historic levels, with average wait times exceeding four years in many jurisdictions. For asylum seekers who had followed all legal requirements and were close to receiving decisions, the freeze represented a significant setback that left them in prolonged legal limbo, unable to obtain permanent status or make long-term plans for their lives in the United States.

True or false: The asylum decision freeze affected only new asylum applications, not cases already pending.

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