Trump Eases Asylum Freeze in U.S. After D.C. Guard Shooting

The administration of Donald Trump is preparing to scale back a sweeping asylum crackdown introduced after a fatal shooting involving members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., according to U.S. homeland security officials.

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The earlier measure halted hundreds of thousands of asylum cases handled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security. Officials introduced the freeze in late November following an attack in which an Afghan man granted asylum in 2025 allegedly shot two National Guard members near the White House. One of the soldiers later died from her injuries.

Policy shift after sweeping pause

Authorities argued the suspension was necessary to reassess security screening and vetting procedures for asylum applicants.

Under the new plan, the government intends to lift the pause for most asylum applications filed outside immigration courts. Homeland security officials said the change will allow cases from countries considered lower risk to resume processing.

Restrictions remain for certain nationalities

The freeze will continue to apply to asylum applicants from 39 countries subject to U.S. travel restrictions introduced under a presidential proclamation by Trump.

The list includes several African nations such as Senegal, Somalia, and Nigeria, along with countries in Asia including Afghanistan, Iran, and Laos. Some Latin American states—including Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela—are also affected.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the agency has already lifted the hold for “thoroughly screened asylum seekers from non high-risk countries.” Officials said the move will allow immigration authorities to focus resources on cases viewed as presenting greater security concerns.

“Maximum screening and vetting for all aliens continues,” the department said in a statement.

Other immigration freezes still in force

Although most asylum adjudications may restart, broader restrictions tied to the travel-ban countries remain in place.

The administration continues to suspend several other legal immigration processes for nationals of those 39 nations. The halt affects applications for work permits, permanent residency—often known as green cards—and even naturalization requests.

Those suspensions were also introduced following the Washington shooting and have not been lifted.

The original asylum halt was unprecedented in scope. Immigration officials had instructed officers to stop issuing approvals or denials on all asylum cases handled by the agency while continuing interviews and case reviews up to the decision stage.

Part of broader immigration crackdown

The asylum pause formed part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to tighten the legal immigration system.

Officials have also proposed limiting work permits for asylum seekers and reviewing refugee admissions granted during the administration of former President Joe Biden. The White House has said these policies aim to reduce immigration fraud and address national-security risks that officials argue were not adequately managed previously.

Advocacy groups supporting immigrants have criticized the measures, saying they penalize people pursuing legal immigration pathways and complying with U.S. procedures.

The partial rollback suggests the administration is adjusting its strategy after months of halted asylum processing while maintaining broader restrictions targeting countries viewed as higher risk.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 30 March 2026

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