Featured Issues
Featured Issue: Sweeping Immigration Restrictions in the Aftermath of National Guard Shooting
12/5/25
AILA Doc. No. 25120561.
Adjustment of Status, Asylum & Refugees, Business Immigration, Consular Processing, Family Immigration, Family-Based Immigrants, Naturalization & Citizenship
Following the November 26, 2025, shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., the Administration announced multiple policy changes significantly restricting legal immigration.
Recent Agency Memos and Announcements
- USCIS issued a Policy Memo (PM-602-0192) that:
- Halts adjudication of asylum applications across all nationalities,
- Halts decisions on all benefit applications for noncitizens from “high-risk” countries, defined as the 19 countries named in President Trump’s June 2025 travel ban, and
- Orders a reexamination of all individuals from high-risk countries who had a benefit request approved since January 20, 2021
- USCIS ordered personnel to review and potentially re-interview all refugee approvals during the Biden Administration, from January 21, 2021, to February 20, 2025—approximately 200,000 cases.
- USCIS issued new guidance directing officers to weigh country-specific information in adjudications.
- DOS paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports.
- USCIS reduced the validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) from 5 years to 18 months for various applicants including asylees, refugees, and adjustment applicants.
Read AILA’s press release on the policies implemented in the wake of the shooting.
Highlighted Resources
- Practice Alert: Sweeping Immigration Restrictions Announced in the Wake of the National Guard Shooting
- Practice Alert: Pause on All Decisions for Travel Ban Countries
- USCIS PM Halts All Asylum Applications and All Benefit Applications from "High-Risk" Countries
- Practice Alert: DOS Pause on Afghan Visa Issuance
- USCIS Updates Policy Manual: INA §212(f) and PP 10949 Now Guide Discretion in Certain Immigration Benefit Requests
Browse the Featured Issue: Sweeping Immigration Restrictions in the Aftermath of National Guard Shooting collection
Practice Resources
Practice Alert: USCIS to Review Approvals and Immediately Pause LPR Applications for Refugees Admitted 1/21/21-2/20/25
In an internal memo, USCIS ordered review of all refugee approvals from 1/21/21 to 2/20/25—approximately 200,000 cases. USCIS also ordered staff to stop adjudicating any applications to adjust status filed by refugees, their derivatives, and follow-to-join refugees admitted during this timeframe.