After the terrible shooting incident last week where a CIA-trained Afghan national killed one member of the National Guard and critically injured another, President Trump declared that he would "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries" and "remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country." He also vowed to "denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization."

We do not yet have a full picture of how these words will be put into operation, but several government agencies have already announced new restrictions on asylum and on people from Afghanistan and other "banned" countries. Here, we'll look at what has been said so far, and try to understand how the new policies will affect asylum seekers and asylees.

We'll begin with announcements from a few different agencies, mostly made via social media. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow writes that his Agency "has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible." In addition, the Agency plans to "Reexamine Every Green Card from Countries of Concern," and will "re-interview... all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025." This comes on top of an announcement (made prior to the National Guard attack) that citizenship in a "banned" country will be viewed as a "significant negative factor" when USCIS evaluates eligibility for asylum, a Green Card or other immigration benefit.

The Department of Homeland Security tweeted, "Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghanistan nationals has been stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols." The Administration is also considering widening the existing travel ban, or in the eloquent words of the DHS Secretary, "I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies."

The U.S. State Department declared that it "has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports."

The justification for these changes stems from the Trump Administration's contention that President Biden "spent the last four years dismantling basic vetting and screening standards, prioritizing the rapid resettlement of aliens from high-risk countries over the safety of American citizens." Never mind that the evacuation of Afghan allies had bi-partisan support or that the National Guard shooter was granted asylum during Mr. Trump's presidency. Also, refugees receive more vetting than just about any other group of immigrants, as do asylum seekers, though there has always been room for improvement.

The question now is, How will these changes actually affect asylum seekers, asylees, refugees, and Green Card holders?

Perhaps the most unprecedented announcement here is that many people who already have status in the United States--asylees, refugees, and Green Card holders--will have their cases "re-examined." This seems to include anyone admitted as a refugee or who received asylum during President Biden's term, as well as asylees and Green Card holders from "banned" countries.

It's difficult to know how this will work in practice. It sounds like USCIS is planning to re-interview the 233,000 refugees who arrived in the United States during President Biden's term. But what about everyone else? Will such people have to re-apply for benefits they already received? Will they be interviewed again? Or perhaps there will be an internal review, and USCIS will only reach out if a case seems suspicious. Also, who at USCIS will re-examine all these cases? Presumably, it will be Asylum Officers or USCIS officers. Will diverting these workers from their current tasks cause other cases to be delayed? And what about people who received status through the Immigration Court? Who will review their cases? While I do not have answers to these questions, I do know that re-examining hundreds of thousands of cases will be a monumental task, and will likely take years.

In addition, the Asylum Office (which is part of USCIS) has halted decisions in all asylum cases, at least until additional vetting measures can be put into place. From the limited information available, it seems that interviews will continue, but decisions will not be issued. How long this pause will last, and what additional vetting measures might satisfy the current Administration, we do not know.

USCIS is also pausing adjudication of all immigration forms, and all naturalization ceremonies, for people from "banned" countries, at least until vetting is increased. Further, as I wrote last week, for people from "banned" countries, their nationality will be considered a "significant negative factor" when adjudicating their cases.

Finally (for now), Afghans are subject to collective punishment due to the acts of one individual. All visa processing has been stopped. This presumably includes SIV applications, I-730 follow-to-join petitions, and all other immigrant and non-immigrant visas. Also, "all immigration requests" at USCIS are being stopped. Whether that includes work permit applications, and how long any of this will last, we do not know.

Given all these rapid changes, what can you do to protect yourself? First, make sure you have a copy of your case and all your documents. If not, you can request your file through the Freedom of Information Act from USCIS/the Asylum Office and the Immigration Court. Also, know your rights and have a plan in case you encounter ICE. Lastly, although it is not easy, try to find ways to be happy and live your life. I wrote more about the importance of taking care of yourself here.

Although we do not yet have evidence of the National Guard shooter's motive, the Trump Administration has wasted no time in using the attack to justify further cruel--and likely ineffective--restrictions on immigration. For those targeted by these new measures, keep in mind that it is not easy to revoke asylum or a Green Card, or even to deny asylum where a person is clearly eligible. Also, remember that you are not alone. Many, many people support you and are working hard to oppose the Administration's brutish agenda. We will do our best to get through this difficult time together.

Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com