The Trump administration is partially lifting its asylum freeze while also advancing rules that could prevent applicants from obtaining work permits for years.
The Department of Homeland Security has reportedly begun rolling back a sweeping pause on asylum adjudications imposed after a late November 2025 shooting in Washington, D.C., but only for certain applicants. The change allows most cases to resume while maintaining restrictions on migrants from dozens of countries subject to travel limits, according to officials who spoke to CBS News.
The earlier policy had halted decisions on asylum claims handled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, effectively freezing hundreds of thousands of cases. That pause will now be lifted for applicants from what officials described as “non high-risk countries,” while remaining in place for nationals from 39 countries facing full or partial entry restrictions, according to the report.
In a statement, DHS said “USCIS has lifted the adjudicative hold for thoroughly screened asylum seekers from non high-risk countries,” adding that resources would be focused on “continued rigorous national security and public safety vetting for higher-risk cases,” according to CBS News.
Even as adjudications resume for some, other restrictions remain in place. The administration continues to pause a range of immigration benefits, including work permits, green cards, and citizenship applications, for individuals from the designated countries, according to the same report.
Separately, the administration is pursuing a proposed rule that could dramatically limit asylum seekers’ ability to work legally in the United States.
The proposed measure would halt new work permits until average asylum processing times fall to 180 days, a benchmark that could reportedly take “many years” to reach. Based on current backlogs, the timeline could stretch from 14 to 173 years, though officials said other factors might shorten it, reported Reuters.
The proposal is part of a broader effort to reduce what officials describe as incentives for migrants to file asylum claims primarily to obtain employment authorization. DHS said a work permit “is not an entitlement” and should be granted at the secretary’s discretion, according to Reuters.
Immigration advocates and some lawmakers have criticized the approach, arguing it undermines longstanding legal protections for asylum seekers and could leave applicants unable to support themselves while waiting for decisions, CBS reported.
Guidance compiled by the asylum seeker advocacy group ASAP indicates that, as of March 2026, asylum policy remains in flux. The group notes that while the government had previously stopped issuing final decisions on many pending cases, work permits tied to those applications remain valid for now. It also highlighted new fees, stricter renewal rules, and ongoing legal challenges to several policies affecting applicants from roughly 40 countries.
Administration officials have reportedly said that these policies are designed to combat immigration fraud and national security concerns, and to strengthen vetting procedures, according to statements reported by CBS News.
The proposed work permit rule is still subject to public comment and potential legal challenges, and its finalization is unclear.
