Understanding the Implications of Trump’s Asylum ‘Pause’ and Its True Significance for U.S. Immigration
Trump Halts Asylum Claims: What It Means for Immigration Policy
In response to the recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, President Donald Trump has ordered a pause on asylum claims. The shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is a 29-year-old Afghan national who assisted U.S. forces during the two-decade war in Afghanistan and was granted asylum earlier this year.
Duration of the Asylum Pause
The specifics regarding the duration of this asylum pause are ambiguous. Trump mentioned to reporters that the directive “has no time limit, but it could be a long time.”
However, the implications of this pause on asylum claims remain uncertain. Here’s what we know thus far.
The Pause Does Not Affect Most Asylum Cases
Despite the White House’s assertion that the Trump administration is “pausing all asylum decisions,” this directive actually affects fewer than half of the outstanding claims.
Asylum status is granted to foreign nationals who face a significant risk of persecution if they return to their home countries. Individuals arriving in the U.S. with legal authorization, such as valid visas, initiate the application process with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Others begin their cases following an arrest or an interview with immigration enforcement, later pressing their cases before a judge.
Trump’s pause primarily impacts the approximately 1.5 million cases currently pending with USCIS, but does not cover immigration courts, where another 2.4 million asylum cases are awaiting resolution. Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nor the Executive Office for Immigration Review has provided clarification on this matter.
A Reversal for Trump’s Immigration Strategy
This pause represents a significant shift in Trump’s previous approach to asylum, which involved rapidly clearing cases. According to USCIS’s latest quarterly report, asylum completions increased to 135,091—nearly five times the number concluded in the same period last year, during Joe Biden’s presidency. Moreover, the number of asylum denials rose sixfold, reaching 6,850. Under Trump, the backlog of pending cases had begun to modestly decline after nearly quadrupling since 2021.
Future Implications of the Asylum Pause
It is likely that the Trump administration will face challenges in indefinitely halting asylum claims, as such obstruction would likely incite legal action. Ongoing federal litigation already targets many of the administration’s efforts to reshape the immigration system.
“I foresee that if the asylum pause extends beyond a few weeks, there will be lawsuits filed,” noted Julia Gelatt, an analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. “Almost every action taken is legally scrutinized, and this is a significant move.”
However, Gelatt suggests the pause may not be the central issue. “The pause could be a means to revisit procedures or explore different policy options,” she explained. “Currently, we’ve seen numerous press releases and broad statements, but not many concrete policy changes. We may witness these in the coming days or weeks.”
