The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has lifted its total ban on reviewing asylum applications for non-high-risk countries, though restrictions remain in place for approximately 40 nations deemed to pose significant national security concerns.
This decision follows a pause implemented by the administration in November 2025 after an Afghan national attacked two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., killing one. At that time, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem indicated the pause on processing asylum claims would be indefinite as the department worked through a backlog of nearly four million cases.
A DHS spokesman stated: “USCIS has lifted the adjudicative hold for thoroughly screened asylum seekers from non-high-risk countries.” The move reallocates resources to focus on rigorous national security and public safety vetting for higher-risk cases.
Countries under continued restrictions include Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and multiple African nations. Additionally, other limitations persist, such as a pause on issuing immigrant visas to 75 countries and the halt of immigration applications from nations covered by President Trump’s travel ban. Late last year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began re-reviewing foreign nationals granted refugee status under the previous Biden administration, applying more stringent scrutiny. A number of individuals have been referred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for potential deportation.
