Trump administration eases post–D.C. National Guard shooting asylum freeze, keeping restrictions for about 40 countries
Policy shift follows months-long pause on USCIS asylum decisions
The Trump administration has moved to partially unwind a sweeping halt on asylum decisions that was imposed after the Nov. 26, 2025, shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. The Department of Homeland Security lifted the blanket hold on adjudicating asylum applications, while keeping the pause in place for nationals of roughly 40 countries identified by the administration as higher-risk.
The original decision freeze applied to affirmative asylum cases handled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Under the hold, officers could continue interviews and case preparation, but were directed not to issue final decisions while the government undertook additional review of screening and vetting procedures.
What changed on March 30, 2026
As of March 30, 2026, DHS has authorized USCIS to resume final decisions for applicants from countries considered lower risk. The continued pause for about 40 countries means the policy remains a targeted restriction rather than a full reopening of asylum adjudications.
The administration’s post-shooting actions also included heightened scrutiny of certain immigration pathways and reviews tied to nationality-based restrictions. The asylum decision freeze became one of the most consequential operational changes because it affected applicants already inside the United States and awaiting USCIS action.
Background: the D.C. shooting that triggered the crackdown
The Nov. 26, 2025, attack occurred near the White House area and involved two National Guard members deployed to Washington. One service member later died of injuries, and the second was critically wounded. Federal prosecutors charged a 29-year-old Afghan national in connection with the shooting, including a first-degree murder count and additional assault charges.
Practical impacts and what remains unresolved
Applicants from countries no longer covered by the hold can again receive USCIS asylum approvals or denials, ending a period of uncertainty for many cases already interviewed.
Applicants from the roughly 40 countries still subject to the pause remain unable to obtain final USCIS decisions, despite continued case processing steps.
The partial rollback does not eliminate broader backlogs in the asylum system, and it does not resolve questions about how quickly USCIS can issue decisions after months of constraints.
The administration’s shift narrows a policy born from a national-security response into a country-specific constraint, leaving a two-track system for asylum decisions depending on nationality.
The policy change comes amid ongoing legal and political disputes over immigration enforcement authorities, federal deployments in Washington, and the administration’s use of nationality-based restrictions in immigration processing.