The Trump administration has paused applications submitted by refugees and asylum seekers
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has put Green Card applications filed by immigrants granted refugee or asylum status on hold, CBS has reported. The decision is related to two executive orders signed by Trump earlier this year.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reportedly instructed officials to suspend requests for legal permanent residency, leaving refugees and asylum seekers into “legal limbo.” It’s unclear when the processing would resume.
In a statement to CBS, the DHS cited a “temporary pause on finalizing certain Adjustment of Status applications pending the completion of additional screening and vetting to identify potential fraud, public safety, or national security concerns, in alignment” with Trump’s executive actions.
Specifically, the move is tied to Executive Orders aimed at protecting the US from “foreign terrorists” and other threats.
Earlier this month, the DHS instructed more than 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—who entered under former President Joe Biden’s parole program—to leave the country within 30 days or face deportation.
President Trump also announced a new immigration program known as the “Gold Card,” which would provide a path to US residency and citizenship for a $5 million payment. He described the initiative as a way to attract high-net-worth immigrants who would contribute to the economy.
“They’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people,” he said. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the proposal would replace the existing EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which he called “full of nonsense, make-believe and fraud.”
Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has signed multiple executive orders rolling back Biden-era immigration measures and introducing tougher immigration controls. They include enhancing vetting for visa applicants, limiting birthright citizenship, directing the armed forces to guard the southern border, and erecting additional barriers.
