The United States will lift the moratorium on submitting asylum applications to countries not included in the travel ban list
After the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., in November 2025, the Donald Trump administration announced a blanket ban on asylum cases because the D.C. shooter was an Afghan man who had been granted asylum in 2025.
The administration issued a temporary moratorium on asylum cases overseen by USCIS. The shooter, Rehmanullah Lakkanwal, was evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021, when the United States withdrew its forces from the country. CBS News reported that after a three-month pause, the administration has now decided to lift the temporary moratorium on asylum applications for most cases except those submitted by citizens of countries on the travel ban list.
What asylum cases does USCIS oversee?
There are two main types of asylum processes in the United States – one handled by USCIS and one handled by immigration courts. The first type is the one that has stopped over the past few months. This is where people submit their case to USCIS who are voluntarily seeking asylum in the United States. They have an interview with an asylum officer and if they are rejected they are referred to immigration court. The second type is the one that is dealt with by the immigration court.
This is a defensive process where the person goes to court to avoid deportation.
List of non-exempt countries
Officials confirmed to CBS that the asylum freeze will remain in place for migrants from 39 countries whose citizens face full or partial entry restrictions. The decision to lift the pause will come from countries that are not high-risk, other than this list. AfghanistanBurkina FasoBurma (Myanmar)ChadEquatorial GuineaEritreaHaitiIranLaosLibyafinancialNigerThe Palestinian Authority issued or certified travel documentsRepublic of the CongoSierra LeoneSomaliaSouth SudanSudanSyriaYemenAngolaAntigua and BarbudaBoysBurundiCote d’IvoireCubaDominicaGabonGambiaMalawiMauritaniaNigeriaSenegalTanzaniaTogoTongaVenezuelaZambia Zimbabwe.
