Immigrants & Immigration

Note: On December 2, 2025, the Trump administration stopped processing all United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) pending asylum applications. This means that anyone with a pending asylum case with USCIS will not receive an interview or decision on their case. No end date for this pause has been announced. Asylum cases filed in immigration court are not affected by this pause. Immigration judges will continue to hear Listen to and judge a case and decide asylum cases.

Asylum is a form of protection given by the US government. Asylum protects people from removal to their home country because they fear persecution. It allows them to stay in the US. People granted asylum have refugee status in the US. They can then become a lawful permanent resident (LPR or green card holder). After becoming an LPR, they have a path to apply for US citizenship. 

Asylum is granted to people who are already in the US and fear returning to their home countries. A person can apply for asylum with USCIS if they do not have a court case in immigration court. A person can apply for asylum with an immigration court if they are in removal proceedings.

Learn more about asylum.