The 2026 Asylum Freeze: USCIS Places Global Hold on All Form I-589 Applications Regardless of Nationality

USCIS placed a global hold on all Form I-589 asylum applications to conduct a national security review. This “extreme vetting” policy aims to improve screening and identity checks for all applicants, following security concerns and a mass review of high-risk nationalities.

If you filed for asylum in the United States, you need to know about a major change that just happened. On December 2, 2025, USCIS stopped processing all asylum applications nationwide. Yes, every single one; no matter where you’re from or stage you are in the process.

This is attorney Alicia Morgan, the founder of Immigration Lawyers USA, Miami, Florida. I’ve been practicing immigration law for over 15 years, and I’ve never seen anything quite like this. Let me explain what’s happening, what it means for you, and what you should do next.

Key Takeaways (What You Need to Remember)

1. All asylum applications are frozen – USCIS has stopped processing every Form I-589, regardless of nationality.
2. No timeline has been announced – Nobody knows when processing will resume.
3. People from 39 countries face additional holds – If you’re from one of the designated countries, other immigration benefits are also frozen.
4. Keep your address updated – Make sure USCIS can reach you when policy changes.
5. Maintain your work permit: apply for renewals before your EAD expires.
6. Don’t travel internationally – Leaving the U.S. during this time is extremely risky.
7. Continue gathering evidence – When processing resumes, you want to be ready.
8. The backlog was already massive – This freeze makes an already bad situation worse.
9. Legal challenges are expected – Advocacy groups are reviewing the policy’s legality.
10. You don’t have to navigate this alone – A skilled immigration lawyer can help you explore your options and protect your rights.

What Is the USCIS Asylum Application Freeze?

The USCIS Asylum Freeze is a policy from the December 5, 2025, USCIS Policy Memorandum that pauses all final decisions on Form I-589 applications. While you can still file your application to meet the one-year deadline, USCIS will not grant or deny asylum until a new “comprehensive security review” is complete.

USCIS issued a policy memorandum directing officers to immediately place a hold on all Forms I-589, regardless of the applicant’s country of nationality. This means if you submitted an asylum application (whether you’re from Venezuela, China, Russia, Ukraine, or anywhere else), your case is now on pause.

The freeze affects everyone. It doesn’t matter if:

• You filed your application years ago.
• You’re scheduled for an interview soon, or you’ve already had the interview and are waiting for a decision.
• You’ve been waiting patiently for your turn.
• You entered the country legally or not.

Right now, according to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, 2,295,156 immigrants have already filed formal asylum applications and are awaiting hearings or decisions. Every single one of those cases is now frozen.

Why Did USCIS Stop Processing Asylum Applications?

In the aftermath of the tragic shooting of two National Guards on Thanksgiving 2025 by an Afghan national who obtained his green card through asylum, USCIS stopped processing all asylum applications to perform a “comprehensive national security review” of all pending cases. This new policy aims to fix screening vulnerabilities and ensure applicants do not pose a public safety threat before any final decisions are made.

USCIS says it needs to review its screening and security procedures. The government points to two recent incidents where individuals admitted to the United States were later accused of planning terrorist activities, including the Thanksgiving shooting.

But here’s what you need to understand: this hold will remain in effect until lifted by the USCIS Director, and the agency has not indicated a projected timeline. Nobody knows when processing will start again: not immigration lawyers, not the applicants desperately waiting for answers, and not even USCIS staff. 

What Are the 39 “High-Risk” Countries Affected by Additional Holds?

While the asylum freeze affects everyone, people from certain countries face even more problems. If you were born in or are a citizen of one of these 39 countries, USCIS has also frozen:

• Green card applications (Form I-485)
• Green card renewals (Form I-90)
• Applications to remove conditions on residence (Form I-751)
• Travel document applications (Form I-131)
• Naturalization applications (Form N-400)

The 39 countries with full or partial entry restrictions are:

Full Entry Ban (19 countries): Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

Partial Entry Ban (20 countries): Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

These restrictions stem from the Presidential Proclamation that expanded the June 4, 2025, order, signed by President Trump on December 16, 2025.

How Does This Affect My Pending Asylum Case?

If you have a pending asylum application with USCIS, here’s what’s happening right now:

• Interviews Are Being Cancelled: Many asylum offices have started canceling scheduled interviews. Some people only found out when they showed up for their appointment and were turned away.
• No Timeline for Resolution: The memo doesn’t explicitly cancel asylum interviews, but because adjudication is frozen, many offices will pause scheduling or cancel upcoming interviews until further guidance is issued.
• Employment Authorization May Still Be Processed: Your work permit application (Form I-765) might still be processed if you already applied for it based on your pending asylum case. However, expect delays even with this.
• You’re Still in Legal Status: Having a pending asylum application means you’re not accruing unlawful presence. The freeze doesn’t change this protection for now.

What Happens to People from the 39 High-Risk Countries?

People from 39 countries face extra restrictions. USCIS froze asylum cases, green card applications, renewals, naturalization, and travel documents. Previously approved cases may be reviewed again. Everyone needs new interviews and stricter security checks.

If you’re from one of the 39 designated countries, you face additional challenges beyond the asylum freeze.

Current Applications on Hold

USCIS has mandated a comprehensive re-review of previously approved benefits and suspended processing of all Form I-589 asylum and withholding of removal applications. This means:

• Cases that have already been approved might be reopened and reviewed again.
• You may be called for another interview, even if you already had one.
• Security checks will be more intensive.
• Processing times are now completely unpredictable.

Who Faces Re-Review?

The January 1, 2026, policy requires re-review of immigration benefits approved on or after January 20, 2021, for nationals of the 39 countries listed below. This includes previously approved cases for individuals who:​

• We were admitted through a port of entry.
• We were paroled into the country.
• Entered between ports of entry
• Or hold any approved benefits (e.g., green cards, visas, TPS) post-January 20, 2021, even if already in the U.S.

Mandatory Interviews

All individuals covered by this memorandum are required to undergo a mandatory interview. For cases where interviews are not typically required, a review will determine if an appearance at USCIS is necessary.

How Big Is the Asylum Backlog in 2025?

The numbers are staggering. Before this freeze, the asylum system was already overwhelmed:

According to recent immigration data, the total immigration court backlog of 3,416,921 pending cases represents an unprecedented volume, with 67% of these cases (approximately 2.3 million) being formal asylum applications.

Here in Miami, where I practice, we have one of the largest backlogs in the nation. Miami has the highest immigration court backlog in the nation, with 317,000 pending cases. That’s 317,000 people in our community waiting—and now waiting even longer.

Processing times were already terrible. Some asylum seekers faced waits of 6 years or more to get their first interview. Now? Nobody knows.

What Should I Do If My Asylum Application Is Frozen?

Don’t panic—your case isn’t denied, just paused. Keep your address updated with USCIS, renew your work permit before it expires, don’t travel outside the U.S., and keep gathering evidence. Stay informed about policy changes and consider consulting an immigration attorney.

After 15 years of helping people navigate the immigration system, here’s my honest advice:

1. Don’t Panic, But Don’t Ignore This

Your case hasn’t been denied. It’s just paused. But that pause could last months or potentially years. You need to stay informed and prepared.

2. Keep Your Address Updated

USCIS must be able to reach you. If you move, file Form AR-11 within 10 days. Miss a notice from USCIS, and your case could be administratively closed or even denied.

3. Maintain Your Work Permit

If you have employment authorization based on your pending asylum case, apply to renew it before it expires. Even though asylum cases are frozen, work permits may still be processed.

4. Don’t Travel Outside the U.S.

Traveling internationally while your asylum case is pending is extremely risky. It could be seen as abandoning your case. Don’t do it unless you have advance parole and even then, think very carefully.

5. Keep Gathering Evidence

Just because your case is on hold doesn’t mean you should stop preparing. Continue collecting:

• Documentation of conditions in your home country
• Evidence of persecution or fear of persecution
• Newspaper articles, reports, or expert opinions
• Letters of support from community members

When processing resumes, you want to be ready with the strongest case possible.

6. Watch for Policy Changes

Immigration policy under this administration changes frequently. What’s true today might not be true next month. Stay connected with reliable sources of information like Immigration Lawyers USA’s newsletters.

Will My Case Ever Be Processed?

This is the question everyone asks me, and I wish I had a clear answer. The truth is, nobody knows for certain.

What I can tell you from my 15 years of experience is this: Immigration policy swings like a pendulum. What seems impossible today may change tomorrow. I’ve seen cases that looked hopeless suddenly move forward when policies shifted or litigation forces USCIS to lift the ban. But I’ve also seen people wait for years. The current system is severely backlogged, and this freeze will only make things worse.

What About Court-Based (Defensive) Asylum Cases?

This freeze only affects “affirmative” asylum applications filed directly with USCIS. If you’re in removal proceedings and filed your asylum application with the immigration court, your case follows a different process.

However, the immigration court system has its own massive backlog. As of September 2025, of the 70,067 Immigration Court deportation cases completed that month, immigration judges issued 48,251 removal orders. The immigration courts are moving through cases, but slowly and with high denial rates.

Can I Still File a New Asylum Application?

Yes, technically, you can still file Form I-589. USCIS is still accepting new applications. But your application will go into the frozen pile along with everyone else’s.

Remember: You must file for asylum within one year of arriving in the United States, unless you qualify for an exception. Don’t let the freeze stop you from meeting this deadline. File your application even if it won’t be processed immediately; missing the one-year deadline could make you permanently ineligible for asylum.

What Happens to My Family Members?

If you included your spouse and children as dependents on your asylum application, they’re in the same situation as you: on hold and waiting.

If you’re from one of the 39 high-risk countries and have family members abroad who want to join you, they face additional obstacles. The travel ban makes it extremely difficult for them to get visas to enter the United States.

Are There Any Exceptions to the Freeze?

The policy memorandum doesn’t provide clear exceptions for the asylum freeze. No asylum case currently pending with USCIS will move forward until further notice, unless specifically authorized by the USCIS Director.

For people from the 39 high-risk countries, there are some limited exceptions for:

• Americans permitted permanent residents (green card holders)
• People with valid visas issued before June 1, 2026
• Diplomats and certain other visa categories
• National interest waivers and hardship (decided case-by-case)

But these exceptions are narrow and don’t apply to most asylum seekers.

How Long Could the Freeze Last?

Nobody knows. It could be weeks, months, or even years. Immigration policy is unpredictable, especially under the current administration.

What we do know is that the backlog was already massive before this freeze. Now that all processing has stopped, cases are piling up even faster. When USCIS finally resumes processing, they’ll have an even bigger mountain to climb.

In my experience of practice, I’ve learned that immigration cases require patience, persistence, and preparation. This freeze tests all three.

What About Legal Challenges to This Policy?

Several advocacy groups and attorneys have already challenged the legality of this freeze. Notably, Jim Hacking filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of 197 plaintiffs regarding the pause on immigration benefits caused by the travel ban. We may see additional lawsuits questioning USCIS’s authority to halt all asylum processing without a clear timeline.

However, legal challenges take time. Even if courts eventually rule against this policy, resolution could take months or years.

Comparison: How This Freeze Differs from Past Travel Bans

Can I Switch to a Different Type of Immigration Case?

Maybe, but it depends on your specific situation. Some people might be eligible for:

• Family-based green cards (if you have qualifying relatives)
• Employment-based green cards (if you have a job offer)
• Special programs like U visas (for crime victims) or VAWA (for domestic violence survivors)

To learn more about which programs you qualify for, schedule a consultation today with attorney Alicia Morgan.

However, if you’re from one of the 39 high-risk countries, remember that those applications are also on hold right now.

What Does This Mean for Miami’s Immigrant Community?

Here in Miami, we have one of the largest immigrant populations in the country. This freeze affects thousands of our neighbors, coworkers, and community members.

Our local immigration courts and asylum office were already struggling with enormous caseloads. This freeze will only deepen the crisis. I’ve already started seeing the effects in my practice:

• Clients who’ve waited years for interviews now have no idea when they’ll get their chance
• Families are separated across borders with no reunification in sight
• People in limbo, unable to plan their lives or futures

In my years of helping immigrants, I have rarely seen something this troubling. Individuals seeking safety deserve clear answers, not prolonged uncertainty.

Should I even bother filing my immigration case if it will not be processed due to the pause?

The answer is an absolute yes. While USCIS’s “adjudication hold” or “freeze” (per Policy Memorandum PM-602-0194) feels discouraging, halting your process now risks devastating long-term consequences. Here’s why you must file:​

• Protect Legal Eligibility: Asylum’s one-year filing deadline (INA § 208(a)(2)(B)) runs regardless of the hold. Waiting could permanently bar you, no matter your claim’s strength.​
• Government Action Inevitable: Processing resumes eventually—via policy shift, “national security review” completion, or court orders from suits like Jim Hacking’s class action (197+ plaintiffs challenging the pause). Filing secures your spot.
• Deportation Protection: A pending application signals “claimed status,” lowering enforcement priority and reducing the risk of removal proceedings.​
• Access Vital Benefits: Pending status qualifies you for EAD renewals (work permits) and driver’s licenses in most states.
• Build Your Record: Start evidence gathering now with your attorney—be “trial-ready” when adjudications restart

How Can an Immigration Attorney Help During This Freeze?

An immigration attorney monitors policy changes, prepares your case for when processing resumes, identifies alternative options, protects your rights, and provides peace of mind. Even though cases are frozen, having legal support helps you stay ready and informed.

When cases are frozen, working with an experienced immigration lawyer is more important than ever. Here’s why:

• We Monitor Policy Changes: Immigration policy is changing constantly. What’s true today might not be true tomorrow. A good lawyer stays on top of these changes and knows how they affect your case.
• We Prepare Your Case for When Processing Resumes: The freeze will eventually end. When it does, you want your case to be as strong as possible. We help you gather evidence, prepare your testimony, and build the most compelling case.
• We Identify Alternative Options: Depending on your situation, there might be other ways to seek legal status. An experienced attorney can evaluate whether you qualify for other forms of relief.
• We Protect Your Rights: If USCIS makes an error, misses a deadline, or violates your rights, we’re there to hold them accountable. During uncertain times like these, having someone in your corner matters.
• We Provide Peace of Mind: Waiting for your asylum case is stressful enough. Having an attorney who understands the system and can answer your questions helps reduce that stress.

Over my 15 years of experience on Immigration cases, I’ve helped hundreds of asylum seekers navigate complex situations. I’ve seen how having the right legal support makes all the difference, especially during uncertain times like these.

What’s Next for Asylum Seekers?

The situation is frustrating, uncertain, and, honestly, frightening for many people. If you’re one of the millions waiting for your asylum case to be processed, I know this news feels devastating.

But here’s what I tell my clients: Don’t give up hope. Immigration law is constantly evolving. Policies change. Courts issue rulings. Public pressure matters. What seems impossible today might shift tomorrow.

In the meantime, stay informed, stay prepared, and stay connected with people who can help you.

Wrap Up

The asylum freeze is creating uncertainty for millions of people. If you’re one of them, I understand how stressful this waiting period feels.

Throughout my immigration practice, I’ve helped hundreds of families navigate situations just like these sudden policy changes, frozen applications, and unclear timelines. I’ve guided clients through the worst backlogs, the most complex court hearings, and the most challenging appeals.

I’ve seen that the immigration system is unpredictable, but having the right support makes all the difference. You don’t need to figure this out on your own to avoid unwanted serious hassles.

Whether you need help understanding how this freeze affects your specific case, want to explore alternative immigration pathways, or need honest answers to your questions, I’m here for you.

This is what I do. This is what I’ve always done. And I’d be honored to help you, too.

Ready to talk about your case? Contact us now or call our Miami office. Let’s create a plan for your future, even during this freeze.