Trump Administration’s Halt in Processing of All Asylum Applications is Punitive, Extreme, and Undermines Our National Interest
Washington, D.C. — Human Rights First is appalled by the Trump administration’s extreme and punitive action to halt all immigration processing, including permanent residence and citizenship, and to re-review all approved applications for people from 19 countries targeted by its xenophobic 2025 Travel Ban. The administration has also halted adjudication of all asylum applications for individuals, regardless of nationality. Separate announcements indicate plans to reinterview massive numbers of people granted asylum or permanent residence under the Biden administration, a move that would require enormous taxpayer resources and strain the Department of Homeland Security’s adjudicatory capacity. These sweeping and unprecedented actions will cause untold harm, deepen already crippling backlogs, and undermine our national interest in an efficient, fair, and operational immigration system.
Human Rights First unequivocally condemned the November 26 brutal attack on West Virginia National Guard members and extends our deepest sympathies to the family of Specialist Beckstrom and heartfelt wishes for the recovery of Staff Sergeant Wolfe. The alleged shooter, an Afghan national, granted asylum earlier this year under the Trump administration, arrived in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome reportedly after years of supporting U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Human Rights First urged leaders not to scapegoat entire communities for the actions of one individual. Unfortunately, administration officials have ignored these pleas and are spreading hateful, racist rhetoric that risks further violence and dehumanizes immigrants and refugees. They are using this tragedy as a pretext to effectively nullify and circumvent immigration laws enacted by Congress and to advance a xenophobic agenda and collectively punish entire communities.
“This is a moment that demands moral courage from our leaders — not cruelty, not cowardice, and not the disavowal of our most fundamental values,” said Human Rights First President and CEO Uzra Zeya. “The administration’s sweeping halt to immigration and asylum processing, paired with its divisive and openly bigoted rhetoric in the wake of this attack, is outrageous and dangerous. These actions do nothing but invite further violence, fuel xenophobia, and dehumanize people who have already endured profound trauma. We call on leaders in the United States and across the globe to forcefully condemn this hateful language and unequivocally reaffirm their shared commitment to dignity, humanity, and decency in every policy decision.”
For over 45 years, Human Rights First has provided free legal assistance to indigent people seeking safety in the United States. In 2021, we created Project: Afghan Legal Assistance (PALA), drawing on our longstanding asylum work and our role in co-founding the Evacuate Our Allies coalition, to support thousands of at-risk Afghans that sought refuge in the United States following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The Trump administration’s actions this week — on top of nearly a year of mass detention, deportation campaigns, and unlawful attempts to restrict asylum access—mark a dark and dangerous moment in our country’s history.
These policies will no doubt strip lawful status and work authorization from countless law-abiding individuals, halt family reunification, and leave many asylum seekers in legal limbo — unable to return to the countries they fear persecution from and unable to begin fully adjusting to life in the United States. This is compounded by the halt in refugee processing, the 2025 Travel Ban, and the abrupt cancellation of the Department of State CARE program for Afghan allies.
Many of Human Rights First clients have been negatively impacted by these policies, including a terminally ill mother desperately awaiting for the arrival of her children after being separated from them for more than four years, a five-year-old boy waiting to be reunited with his parents, and a formerly detained client whose Special Immigrant Visa approved wife and children remain in hiding in Afghanistan while their applications for travel to the United States remain in limbo.
Human Rights First urges the Trump administration to reverse course and restart processing of all immigration applications, regardless of their country of nationality, and to stop spreading xenophobic rhetoric that endangers American communities. We urge members of Congress and other elected leaders to reject this harmful language and these destructive policy changes.
