In the last two weeks, the Trump Administration has announced sweeping and unprecedented restrictions on refugees and asylum seekers, some of them following the tragic shooting of members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. on November 26.
Many of these announcements still lack detailed public guidance or clarity on how they will be implemented. Here is what you need to know now about the most recent changes impacting refugees, asylees, and immigrants to the United States:
Refugees Admitted Between January 2021 and January 2025
The Trump administration is planning to re-screen 200,000 refugees admitted into the United States during the Biden Administration, according to a leaked USCIS memo from November 21, 2025. The U.S. Refugee Admissions program (USRAP) already includes years of security screening by multiple federal agencies, making resettled refugees the single most vetted population admitted to the country.
Refugees admitted through the USRAP have already endured years or decades of trauma, instability, and loss. The prospect of being summoned back into an interview process—paired with the threat of losing access to permanent residency—disrupts the sense of safety and belonging that resettlement is intended to restore.
Despite the fact that the refugee resettlement program remains shuttered to almost all new arrivals (as of January 20, 2025), HIAS continues to provide ongoing integration and welcome services to thousands of clients who arrived during the past five years and is deeply concerned for their wellbeing in this moment.
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As the world's oldest refugee agency, HIAS will always stand for refugees — no matter who is president. And we will do all we can to support our clients, every day, as we have for more than 120 years. Give with confidence to HIAS.
People Seeking Asylum in the United States
The Trump Administration paused all asylum decisions on November 28, 2025, for asylum seekers from any country around the world. Asylum seekers have since reported widespread cancellations of interviews.
There is currently a backlog of 1.4 million asylum applications pending before USCIS, which means that people seeking protection after fleeing violence and persecution have even less stability, and risk being sent back to danger. Seeking asylum is a legal pathway, and a lifesaving option. President Trump has even stated he intends to pause the asylum system for “a long time”.
In addition to the halt on asylum processing, the Trump administration has also indicated that they will review all asylum decisions made during the Biden Administration, plunging people who spent years proving that they faced danger in their home countries, back into uncertainty.
HIAS works with asylum seekers through our direct legal representation in the New York and DC areas and provides legal support and resources through a large pro-bono network across the country.
People from the 19 Travel Ban Countries
Six months ago, the Trump Administration announced a new travel ban, blocking people from nineteen countries from entering the U.S. This is a fully discriminatory policy, echoing the Muslim ban from the first Trump administration, only even more sweeping.
Now the administration has blocked all immigration processing for people from those 19 countries, such as travel documents, obtaining green cards, adjustment of status, and naturalization. They also plan to re-review past approvals for individuals from those countries who entered the U.S. on or after January 20, 2021.
Additionally, the administration is reportedly considering expanding the travel ban list to thirty countries.
Afghans
The Trump Administration has announced that all visas for people from Afghanistan are halted. This includes Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for people who assisted the U.S. mission during the recent wars. With the current shutdown of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, SIVs were some of the only individuals still being admitted in the United States. Afghans remain one of the largest groups of refugees around the world, fleeing violence and persecution from the Taliban regime.
HIAS works with Afghan refugees and SIVs across all our programs nationwide. We have resettled thousands of Afghan refugees, provided long-term integration support and resources, provided legal support, and engaged local communities in welcome and advocacy. We will continue to advocate for the rights and safety of the Afghan community.
Next Steps
HIAS is deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence targeting Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, and our thoughts are with their families. As a Jewish organization, we also know all too well what it means for an entire community to be targeted because of the actions of one person.
We will always stand in solidarity with people seeking the opportunity to rebuild their lives in safety, including those being targeted now by harmful policies and hateful rhetoric in the Afghan American and Somali American communities.
While this article summarizes some of the events of two tumultuous weeks, we recognize that this is an ongoing situation, with fast-moving developments. For most of the policy changes announced, there remains no clear guidance on how they will be implemented, leaving refugees and immigrants – and all of us who work with them – with questions, uncertainty, and fear. HIAS and our partners will continue to work to put out good information for refugees, asylum seekers, and community members in the days and weeks to come.
Give today
As the world's oldest refugee agency, HIAS will always stand for refugees — no matter who is president. And we will do all we can to support our clients, every day, as we have for more than 120 years. Give with confidence to HIAS.
