USCIS freezes asylum applications for all, major changes to green cards and travel documents

In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a memo halting all asylum applications, in what is being described as the most aggressive operational freeze in decades. The sweeping changes affect everyone, not just those from high-risk countries, and apply across all I-589 asylum cases.

The new directive mandates a complete freeze on all Forms I-589, regardless of nationality. This means that asylum applicants from all countries will face delays as USCIS pauses processing until further notice. The pause extends to a range of immigration processes for 19 specific countries, including green card applications (I-485), removal of conditions on green cards (I-751), green card replacements (I-90), travel documents (I-131), and naturalisation (N-470).

Furthermore, the memo mandates that all asylum applicants, without exception, undergo mandatory interviews. No waivers will be granted, meaning that even individuals who would normally be exempt from interviews will now be required to attend one.

The memo also stipulates that previously approved cases may be re-reviewed. This means that anyone from these countries who entered the U.S. after January 20, 2021, may find their status re-investigated, even if they already hold a green card, an EAD, or travel documents, or have previously passed their interviews.

The directive suggests that the scope could be extended even further, with DHS indicating they may review cases for individuals who entered before 2021.

This aggressive and broad operational pause is the latest in a series of sweeping immigration changes and signals that the Biden administration is taking a hard stance on security checks.