USCIS freezes all immigration cases from 19 countries, leaving 1.4 million asylum seekers waiting indefinitely

White House announced Dec. 1, 2025 that USCIS would halt processing all immigration applications from 19 countries included in Trump's Jun. 2025 travel ban executive order. The countries include Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and others designated as security risks.

The halt affects 1.4 million pending asylum applications, with USCIS directing staff to stop all adjudications for applicants from these countries. USCIS officials told congressional staff the pause would last indefinitely while agencies conduct security reviews of each case.

The action follows the Nov. 26, 2025 National Guard shooting near the White House by an Afghan national who had applied for asylum but been denied. Trump cited the shooting in announcing the halt, saying the incident required comprehensive review of all pending applications from high-risk countries.

USCIS processing centers nationwide received memos directing staff to suspend all green card, asylum, and citizenship applications from the 19 countries. Legal aid organizations reported immediate backlogs as thousands of applicants showed up for scheduled interviews only to be told processing was halted.

The Jun. 2025 travel ban covered 19 countries Trump designated as posing terrorism risks, with the administration arguing the countries lacked sufficient information sharing with US intelligence. The ban was upheld by federal courts but narrowed to exclude certain categories of applicants.

Immigration attorneys argued the blanket halt violated administrative law by not providing individual assessments. USCIS had been processing applications at record pace under Trump administration directives, with approval rates dropping 15% from previous years.

The halt affected families who had waited years for green card approvals, with some applications dating back to 2019. Humanitarian organizations reported cases of refugees facing persecution in their home countries while waiting for US decisions.

Trump administration officials said the security review would be comprehensive, potentially taking months or years per case. No timeline was provided for when processing might resume.