WASHINGTON: The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the Trump administration has decided to resume processing certain asylum applications.
The processing of asylum requests had been temporarily suspended in November last year following a shooting incident involving a refugee, who opened fire on two National Guard personnel.
The attack resulted in the death of one service member and prompted President Donald Trump to order a strict immigration crackdown.
US officials had justified the suspension by criticizing previous immigration policies, stating that weak screening measures during the Biden administration allowed an Afghan refugee to enter the country, who later carried out the attack.
Following the incident, the government tightened immigration laws and expanded its list of travel restrictions.
According to a spokesperson for the immigration department, the ban has now been lifted only for asylum seekers from countries classified as low-risk. However, the names of these countries have not been disclosed.
Authorities now say that strict screening and vetting procedures will continue to ensure that national security is not compromised.
The move to partially resume asylum processing offers a ray of hope for refugees who have been waiting for long periods for their applications to be processed.
