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.

OnDemand Recording

Get the Member-Exclusive Roundtable Recording

AILA members can get the OnDemand recording of our member-exclusive roundtable, held on Dec. 11, 2025, Recent Extreme Vetting and National Security Policy Announcements Affecting Refugees, Asylees, LPRs, and Discretionary Applicants.

Call for Examples

Impacts of Adjudications Pause

Please submit examples of how the sweeping immigration restrictions for nationals of countries subject to the travel ban and the halting of asylum adjudications are impacting your clients.

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.

“We call upon our nation’s leaders to resist using this incident as a pretext to punish immigrants. This is a tragedy that should not be compounded by biased and baseless kneejerk reactions.”

Jeff Joseph

AILA President

Read AILA’s press release on the policies implemented in the wake of the shooting.

Highlighted Resources

Browse the Featured Issue: Sweeping Immigration Restrictions in the Aftermath of National Guard Shooting collection

Agency Memos & Announcements

USCIS Updates Policy Manual: INA §212(f) and PP 10949 Now Guide Discretion in Certain Immigration Benefit Requests

Effective immediately, USCIS will consider relevant country-specific facts and circumstances such as those outlined in PP 10949 when adjudicating discretionary benefit requests such as adjustment of status applications, extension of nonimmigrant stay, and change of nonimmigrant status.

11/27/25 AILA Doc. No. 25120100. Admissions & Border

Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements

USCIS Announces Consideration of Country-Specific Factors when Adjudicating Benefits

USCIS announced new guidance to allow negative, country-specific factors to be considered when vetting immigration benefit applicants from the 19 countries named in Presidential Proclamation 10949.

11/27/25 AILA Doc. No. 25120108. Admissions & Border