Immigrants & Immigration

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.

Note: As of March 30, 2026, the Trump administration isn't processing United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) pending asylum applications for the 39 countries listed in the Department of State (DOS) travel ban. This means that anyone with a pending asylum case with USCIS from one of those countries will not receive an interview or decision on their case. No end date for this pause has been announced. Previously, all pending asylum cases with USCIS were paused on December 2, 2025. Cases have resumed for everyone except for people from the 39 DOS travel ban countries.

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.