The latest data from our nation’s Immigration Courts reveals that judges are deciding more asylum cases than ever–and that denial rates are increasing.
The most recent numbers are from March 2025, and show that Immigration Judges adjudicated 10,933 asylum applications, which is the most cases ever decided in a single month. Of those, 76% were denied–another record.
Here, we’ll examine the data and see if we can learn more about what’s going on.
Before we get to that, a word of warning. We need to be cautious about interpreting this new information. The raw numbers don’t necessarily tell the full story, and so what any of this means for an individual case before an individual Immigration Judge (IJ) is not so clear. That said, the general pattern over the last several months shows a clear trend towards more decisions and more denials.
In terms of the volume of decisions, IJs have been deciding more and more cases since the end of the pandemic. From late 2022 until the end of 2024, Immigration Courts were ruling on roughly 6,000 cases per month. The numbers began to spike in January (Mr. Trump took office on January 20) when courts adjudicated 8,050 cases, and increased through February (9,829 cases) to March, when IJs decided a record-breaking 10,933 cases.
With regard to asylum denial rates in court, the current upward trend began well before President Trump took office. In August 2023, IJs denied 45% of asylum case. After that, the number of denials began to climb rapidly and steadily. One year later, in August 2024, IJs were denying 60% of asylum cases, and during the last full month of President Biden’s term, December 2024, judges denied 64% of cases. The first few months of Mr. Trump’s presidency have seen a continuation and perhaps an acceleration of this trend. In February 2025, IJs denied 74% of asylum cases and in March, they denied 76% of cases.
Looking at these trends, the bigger mystery for me is why so many more cases are being decided in Immigration Court. The number of IJs has not increased since January. On the contrary, a dozen or more judges have been terminated since Mr. Trump took office, and so more judges is not the explanation for more decisions. One prominent commentator, Austin Kocher, states that the Trump Administration “appears to be fast-tracking asylum decisions with the clear goal of clearing the docket by simply denying as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.” Maybe. But I don’t know how the IJs have the time to adjudicate more cases.
While courts decided a record number of cases in March, unless there are much more radical changes, the backlog is not going away any time soon. There are currently more than 2 million immigrants awaiting asylum hearings (and more than 3.6 million cases of all types in Immigration Court). Even if judges could sustain the completion rate from March, it would take more than 15 years to get through all the pending asylum applications, assuming no new cases enter the system.
The more important question for asylum seekers–and perhaps the easier question to answer–is why the percentage of denials has been increasing. I can think of a few reasons.
First, DHS (the prosecutor in Immigration Court) has been more aggressively resisting asylum approvals. In one of my recent cases, for example, the DHS attorney explicitly told me that she could not agree to a grant of asylum, even though she would have agreed during the prior Administration. Thankfully, the IJ approved the case and DHS did not appeal, but in general, when DHS more strongly opposes relief, IJs are more likely to deny.
A second issue is the CBP-One app (a/k/a the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule). Starting on May 11, 2023, asylum seekers who entered at the U.S.-Mexico border and who did not make an appointment using the CBP-One app are barred from asylum. Though there are some narrow exceptions, many migrants are being denied asylum because they failed to use the app, and I expect this contributes to the higher denial rate in court.
Another, less pleasant, possibility is that IJs are adjusting their decision-making to please the new boss. To some extent, it is reasonable for judges to follow the lead of the Administration in office, as long as they continue to follow the law. But here, where the Trump Administration has been so aggressive on so many fronts, it seems to me that IJs have a particular responsibility to ensure that asylum seekers receive a fair hearing. Whether judges’ desire to please the current Administration (and protect their jobs) is contributing to the higher denial rates, we really do not know, but I worry that the Administration’s well-publicized efforts to fire people perceived as disloyal may push some IJs to deny more cases. The IJs that I know personally are people of great integrity, and I think they are not particularly susceptible to such intimidation, but when your job and livelihood are on the line, it does create perverse incentives.
Finally, although it would not be reflected in the March data, a recent policy decision (from April 2025) allows IJs to dismiss legally insufficient cases without a hearing, and we can expect this policy to lead to more and faster decisions, and more denials.
While denial rates continues to climb, it is still possible to put together a successful application and it is important not to give up. Gather your evidence, prepare your affidavit, and do your best to present the strongest case possible. In that way, even in these difficult times, it is still possible to win asylum.
Green Card pause for asylees and refugees are not confirmed or at least not for everyone.
3 know cases just this week:
1.Guy applied in 2023 for GC asylee got it on May 30
2.applied in January 27 2025, approved June
3.March 2025 , approved in June…67 days…
A lot of people actually get their GC SUPER fast….i think Trump’s admin uses LIFO everywhere…
Hi Asylum GC,
Thanks for the info were any of them from the banned countries?
Thanks,
Since USCIS does not say what they are doing, it is difficult to know. Unfortunately, the Administration is the opposite of transparent, which is very bad for democracy. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason and All,
According to this news report (quoted from CBS), Trump administration is considering to revoke work permit or stop issuing any for pending asylum until the asylum processing time is with in the frame of 180 days! This was my biggest nightmare since November 5th, 2024.
Do you guys think a judge will block this policy?
https://sandhillsexpress.com/cbs_politics/trump-officials-weigh-rule-to-prevent-asylumseekers-from-getting-work-permits-cbsid13f168a4/
We will have to see what happens. But clearly, the Administration is doing all it can to harm asylum seekers and make the process more difficult. I hope this does not happen, as then only independently wealth people and people who can work illegally will have a chance to apply for asylum. Take care, Jason
The fact that you cannot even confidently say that it will not come into fruition makes me worried…that mean it has a fair chance to become reality…right…
Today, June 3, 2025, I had my asylum interview at the Boston Asylum Office. My visa is valid until July 8, 2025. The interview started at 11:30 AM and ended at 3:30 PM. The questions were very tough and sometimes unbelievable, but I answered all of them honestly and completely. My case is genuine, and I had already submitted and uploaded all original supporting documents to USCIS one week before the interview.
Now, I have a few questions:
1. The asylum officer kept my passport—**is this normal?**
2. Does a **long interview** (like mine, 4 hours) usually indicate **approval or denial**?
3. I prepared and submitted my asylum case **by myself**. Is that okay, or will it affect the decision?
I have mine soon. I heard it takes that long- does not predict outcome.
1 – In my experience, that is not normal. I have never seen them keep a passport. I have seen ICE keep a passport and maybe the DHS attorney in court. They might keep it if they need some type of forensic work on the passport. For example, if they think it is fake. 2 – I think it is not a sign either way. 3 – There are reasons to use a lawyer, especially if a case has legal issue, but otherwise, I do not know that it makes a difference. Take care, Jason
I had applied to the I-131 based on granted asylum last year. I have got my green card this year. So my status changed this year. USCIS has just decided the case and denied it. I have not received the notice yet but Here is the status in the online account:
– Case Was Terminated June 3, 2025
– We closed your Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records, because the applicant or petitioner received a status or benefit through other means.
What should I have done? Did I missed to the update the case with new status?
What ooptions do I have now? will I do exact the same application with GC status?
I am not sure why that would happen. However, if you applied for Advance Parole, that is only for people with a pending case. Now that asylum is granted and you have a GC, you should use form I-131 to apply for a Refugee Travel Document. As long as you received asylum and are not yet a US citizen, you should be eligible for the RTD. Take care, Jason
I hope you doing great.
Finally I received my interview date- in a month from now. My lawyer is traveling outside of the country- she will be back 2 week prior to my interview. Therefore she advised me to reschedule my case.
Reason being that she is not ready neither am I. We need to work on the evidence more. What is reasonable time form your prospective to work on a case in those situations? If I reschedule is it going to be with different officer or same one will carry over? Is there any consequences?
@ASYLUM 2015
honestly what your attorney says does not make sense at all!!!! she either knows well you have a weak case and trying to run away from the interview and give you more time before you get transferred to the removal proceedings or she is weird!! 2 weeks are more than enough to prepare you for your interviews!! i was prepared in 5 days before my interview so what she says does not make sense and even USCIS might refuse to reschedule the case, or you will get another interview very soon again because you might be on the radar for them!!! A WHOLE RED FLAG to delay an interview if not emergency or health issues reasons
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/budget/2025/06/dhs-budget-request-would-split-up-cwmd-office/…..if this goes through, anyone with an interview opportunity better not miss it. it could be years again before you are called..
I am not sure what this has to do with interviews, but maybe I am missing something. Take care, Jason
HI Jason,
You missed the last part of that article:
Most of the cuts would come from eliminating about 780 full-time equivalents within USCIS’s operations and support program who were processing refugee and asylum applications.
I see. During the last Trump Administration, they nearly destroyed USCIS, so this would not be very surprising. Take care, Jason
I believe I have a strong case. It is weird and disappointing. I am not going to reschedule it. I will work to gather more evidence on my own to make her face a reality that I am ready.
@Asylum-2015, I agree with you. Do not reschedule.
I wonder how long you have waited for this interview that your lawyer wants to delay further.
I have waited 10 years my friend. With all the professional set back and psychological trauma that I feel I will never going to recover from.
I disagree with this. If the attorney only had one case, that might be true, but most attorneys have many cases and 2 weeks is not nearly enough time to get the work done under those circumstances. Take care, Jason
It is difficult to say what is reasonable, as it depends on how busy the lawyer is, and how much time you need to gather evidence. The bigger issue is whether the asylum office will allow you to reschedule. My local office (Virginia) makes it almost impossible to reschedule; other offices are more reasonable. Take care, Jason
Hey Jason,
Has anyone of your clients got their asylum based green cards approved after news outlets reported USCIS stopped processing those?
Or dear readers, has any of you received your asylum based GC in April or May of this year?
Thank you
The “pause” has only (supposedly) been for the past few months, and I have not tracked asylee GCs too closely, so I am not sure, but I think I have not had an asylee get a GC during the pause. A few people posted here that they did get the GC despite the pause, and so maybe some people are getting GCs. I think we will have to see how this develops over time and whether we receive any info from a Freedom of Information Act request that a lawyers’ association filed. I have I have more info, I will try to post it here. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I hope you’re doing well. I have two quick questions regarding my asylum case.
First, I had my interview on April 30th and was initially given a notice to pick up the decision in person. However, the day before the scheduled pick-up date, my lawyer received a call from the asylum office stating that the decision would instead be mailed. Could this change be related to my F-1 visa status?
Second, during the interview, the officer asked me, “What took so long?” I wasn’t sure what they were referring to, so I asked for clarification. The officer repeated the question, but I still didn’t fully understand, and they said, “Don’t worry about it,” and moved on.
Additionally, the officer requested that I email my F-1 transcripts from my US school, which I did the following day. I’m wondering if this is generally a good sign.
Thank you so much for your help and time!
1 – I doubt it; it is very common for this to happen and I think it does not tell you anything about the possible result or the reason for the delay. 2 – Again I don’t see that as a good or bad sign. If you filed after one year in the US, the asylum transcript would be relevant to see whether you are still a student, but whether that gives a clue about the outcome, I do not know. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you so much for your helpful blog. I’ve learned a lot from it.
I was granted asylum in June 2024 and applied for a green card in April 2025. In my application, I answered “Yes” to the question about violating the terms of my nonimmigrant visa. I assumed that staying in the U.S. after my J-1 visa expired even with a pending asylum case was a violation, especially since I couldn’t fulfill the two-year home residency requirement. I explained this in the additional information section, noting that I overstayed my visa due to my asylum application and couldn’t meet the two-year rule for the same reason.
I’ve recently learned that applying for asylum before my visa expired may not be considered a violation. Should I send USCIS a letter to clarify, or just leave it as is and only respond if they issue an RFE? I’m not sure if it’s better to clarify now or avoid creating unnecessary attention to the issue.
I can see the argument that you did not violate your status, but the whole point of this type of J-1 is that you should leave the US when you are done, and so there is an argument that you did violate your status. In your case, it sounds like you explained what happened, and I think USCIS can decide whether or not you violated your status. I don’t think it matters either way, as this would not block you from a GC, and so I would not provide further explanation unless they ask, and based on what you wrote, it sounds to me like you are ok on this point. Take care, Jason
Thank you, Sir. I’ll hold off on sending anything further unless USCIS requests it. I’m truly grateful for all you do for the asylum community.
Hi Jason,
Thanks for helping the asylum community
I have a couple of Questions
1) My case was referred to the immigration judge by USCIS and my court date is in July, worst case scenario if my case is not approved by the judge can ICE detain me there or I have 30 days to file for the Appeal and I am safe in that 30 days period.
2) On my court hearing date my wife who is a dependent on my case will be 38 weeks pregnant is it recommended to file a motion and get another court date as I don’t wanna do her through all the stress at 38 weeks of pregnancy
Thank you .
1 – ICE can potentially detain almost anyone before or after a hearing, and so that is always possible. Some people are more vulnerable to detention than others, and I plan to post about that later this week. Normally, if you are denied by the judge, you have 30 days to appeal, and if you appeal, the case is considered still pending, and not denied. If you lose the appeal, which can take a few months or a few years, at that point, you would most likely be deportable (though it is possible to go to federal court or ask for the case to be reopened or reconsidered). 2 – You can ask. If you plan to do that, maybe get a letter from her doctor explaining why she is particularly vulnerable. Most (but not all) judges would accommodate such a request. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Since the person who helped prepare my case did not do a good job on my personal statement and made some mistakes, is it possible for me to rewrite my statement and submit it to the asylum office? By the way, the office in Houston emailed me back saying I can submit my additional evidence via email with PDF files under 12MB. Is that uncommon?
Thank you for your answers!
You can re-write it, but if you make changes, you need to explain why you are making a change and how the original mistake occurred in the first place. If you just make a new affidavit without explaining the changes, you will only be creating additional inconsistent statements. And yes, most (but not all) asylum offices allow you to submit evidence by email, but they often limit the size of the files you can send (though if they are large, you can compress them, and also, it is a good idea to bring a hard copy of any evidence you submitted, just in case your evidence does not get to the Asylum Officer). Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Any negative impact, a person coming on F1 visa and applying for asylum vs other visas like B1/B2?
Especially if the person didn’t continue with education, basically intention was to apply asylum and if approved it will be in state fee vs out of state.
Thank you
I suppose in theory, they could use that against you, but I have not seen it before. Also, there is a case called Matter of Pula that basically says if a person lies to get a visa because he is fleeing for his life, that by itself would not be a basis to deny asylum as a matter of discretion. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I plan on naturalizing next year. I’ve lived in the US for more than 14 years and I’ve never had a run with law enforcement until last summer when I was arrested and charged with driving with a fake plate (I purchased my first car and I was driving with a temporary plate that I thought was legally obtained by the dealer). I permanently registered the car on my name shortly after I was informed the plate was fake. The case was dismissed. I gather adverse documents showing my good moral character and the letter of disposition. What is your experience regarding dismissed cases and naturalization? Does one incident generally trigger denial?
Thanks
You would need to provide the “disposition” (final outcome) of the case, and make sure to answer the questions about arrests and charges properly on the form, but otherwise, a dismissed charge should have no effect. Take care, Jason
Missed asylum interview with no rescheduling in sight and stopped EAD clock
Dear Jason,
I hope this email finds you well. Our office was swamped with asylum interviews in March -April, 2025. As a result, there are a few missed interview that we timely filed request for reschedule for. We have noticed that the asylum office cannot reschedule the interview in time — as a matter of fact no rescheduling for more than a month now, leading to stopped EAD clock and disgruntled clients. What should people do？ Withdraw and refile? Or mandamus? Have you seen things happening in your jurisdiction? Mine is primarily N CA and S CA.
Regards
Mei
We had similar problems, and since the cases were very old, some clients had disappeared, others left the country or were in the process of getting a GC through some other means. Some also did not want to continue their cases and so refused to go to the interview or work with us. In our office, if that happens, we receive a notice about the missed interview and they give us 45 days to respond and explain what happened. I am not sure other offices are doing that. Otherwise, the only thing I can think to do is email them and ask for a new date, or if there are walk-in hours, go in person to ask (probably you do not need this, but for people who do, you can find the email address and info about walk-in hours on the asylum office web page, which can be found by following the link under Resources called Asylum Office Locator). If that does not work, maybe a mandamus is the way to go, but normally those are reserved for long-pending cases, and so I am not sure it would apply to your cases. I think the main problem is that the asylum offices are a complete disaster and we have to find some way to deal with their mistakes, which is not always possible. Take care, Jason
Hey Jason,
I know you probably get this question a million times a year, but during my asylum interview, I talked about the arrests I faced in my home country for joining political protests. I’ve never been to court or charged with anything—just some illegal arrests for a month and then 5 days, and I was free to go! In my I-485 application, I didn’t mention those arrests or explain anything about them, and my attorney didn’t give me a heads-up about it! Honestly, I thought those were only for serious crimes, not just illegal arrests for protesting due to my political views! My green card was approved three years ago, and I’m planning to apply for citizenship in a year. So, what’s the deal now? Could this cause an issue, or would explaining it during the N-400 interview be enough to clear things up? Back when Biden was in office, it seemed like an easy mistake to fix, but I’m worried about nowadays situation. Do you think the officer will see it as a big deal, or will it likely be an easy fix? Thanks!
When we have had this problem before, we have explained it and it has always been fine. You are correct that in many ways, these days, things are worse, but I do not know that they are being more difficult about situations like this. At least, I have not seen that. You will need to answer the arrest questions on the N-400 (citizenship form) and I think you will need to decide how best to do that. Either way – whether you say yes or no – you should provide an explanation. I think you should also explain about the I-485 form. Basically, you can state that you were not arrested for a crime and that you were never subject to a legal arrest; rather, you were illegally detained by the government for political reasons and that you were never charged with any crime or brought to court. You can also note that you told USCIS about the detentions during your asylum case. I think if you explain this in advance, you will probably be fine. Take care, Jason
Thanks for the info!! Can you let me know how much you charge for the N-400? Also, is it possible for the attorney to attend the interview through Webex? Or does the attorney typically need to travel to attend the interview in person at the USCIS naturalization office? I live in OHIO.
You would have to contact my firm about fees (703-952-3275). I think it is not possible for a lawyer to attend an N-400 interview by video, though maybe it is possible to attend by phone (but I am not sure about that and I have never done it). Take care, Jason
Hello Jason!
We have been scheduled for an asylum interview. My wife and daughter have Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine. If our asylum application is not approved, will they lose their TPS, or will they only lose asylum status and be able to remain under TPS? Will they also be scheduled for a court hearing?
The Trump Administration is working hard to end TPS for many people, but assuming there is still TPS, they will not lose their status if asylum is denied. However, they may be scheduled for a court date if asylum is denied, even if they have TPS. I think the asylum offices do not have a consistent policy on this, as I have seen some TPS people get referred to court while others do not get referred. I have not had such a case lately, and so I am not sure whether they will be referred to court or not. Take care, Jason
Morning Jason!
I had yesterday my asylum interview after 10 years. My case status shows « decision pending ». The AO informed me about both outcomes and have me a paper to pick up me decision in two weeks. The interview went well but with the current situation we never know. She said that if it is negative I will be referred to the court. I do have a pending 130 and 485 with no interview yet.
The way people are getting detained at their court hearings, I wanted to know if I may be in trouble too? Or what can happen to me ?
I have contacted a lawyer and they told me that my AOS could be approved before my hearing if the asylum get denied. Do you think this is true? Or will i be immediately put in removal proceedings ?
Thanks for always helping us !
Most likely you will have your decision in two weeks, and probably the I-130/I-485 will not be resolved by then. Meaning that if you are denied at the asylum office, you will be sent to court. Once there, you can try to dismiss based on the pending GC application and hopefully that will work. Most people who have been in the US for a long time and who entered legally are not likely to be detained in court, and so you should be ok. However, if you are referred to court, USCIS loses the ability to issue a GC, and so you will have to try to dismiss the court case. If that fails, the judge would have the authority to issue a GC if you are eligible. I plan to write more about courthouse arrests next week, but give that you have been here for 10 years and it sounds like you were never in ICE custody or detention (since you are an affirmative asylum seeker), you should be ok. Take care, Jason
I am sorry, I was under impression my question went through, but I could not find it. Just in case:
Jason, thanks for your support!
We received an email with an updated status of our case: APPLICATION FOR ASYLUM
Your Case Status: Testing and Interview. The case has been filed in 2018.
We have not received a date and time and location of the upcoming interview, but I am assuming we will get this information via regular mail some time soon.
We have no criminal records whatsoever and we never overstayed our initial tourist visa.
I have one question, please: what are the chances ICE can arrest us out of the blue right after/prior the interview? Honestly, that is my main concern now. Let alone the arrest and keeping us behind the bars for nothing is a pain for us and our family budget, our US citizen 4 years daughter will wait for us in a daycare and I am really under shocking anxiety when I think of what can happen to her.
Please share some information to the best of your knowledge in this situation.
Thank you!
Dear Jason,
Thank you so much for what you doing. I have one question. Let’s say someone, who holds a pending asylum case, has appeared before the immigration officer and they talked during the interview about the case in details. Obviously, the conversation is recorded. Let’s say this person was denied the asylum and has returned to their home country on his own. Hypothetically, is there any way that anyone, any person who is in US, or any third country, or even this person’s home country’s people can make a so-called public request and get a copy of that failed case, where all the names, facts, etc, is listed. This, while was denied in the US, could put this person under real danger in their home country now. Is it thought even rational, is this even possible in any way?
The interview is not recorded, but the asylum officer writes down what the applicant says. There is no legal way for a third party to get a copy of this, and even to do it illegally would not be easy, as you would have to pretend to be the asylum seeker (or his lawyer) and have the relevant identity info needed to fill the form. I am not saying that it cannot be done, but it is not easy, and it is illegal. Also, I have never heard of that happening to anyone, and so if it does happen, it is probably very rare. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason! I have a scheduled asylum interview soon, and I had a baby born in the U.S. after I applied for asylum. Should I still bring my baby with me to the interview?
It’s a good question. if the family is on pending but they have a 3 years old US citizen, can we take her with us on the interview?
It is better not to take US citizen children to the interview, as they are not part of the case and they can be distracting. Also, they are not required to attend. Only children who are dependents on the asylum case need to attend. Take care, Jason
Jason, thanks for your support!
We received an email with an updated status of our case: APPLICATION FOR ASYLUM
Your Case Status: Testing and Interview. The case has been filed in 2018.
We have not received a date and time and location of the upcoming interview, but I am assuming we will get this information via regular mail some time soon.
We have no criminal records whatsoever and we never overstayed our initial tourist visa.
I have one question, please: what are the chances ICE can arrest us out of the blue right after/prior the interview? Honestly, that is my main concern now. Let alone the arrest and keeping us behind the bars for nothing is a pain for us and our family budget, our US citizen 4 years daughter will wait for us in a daycare and I am really under shocking anxiety when I think of what can happen to her.
Please share some information to the best of your knowledge in this situation.
Thank you!
I have never heard about affirmative asylum seekers being detained under these circumstances, and so hopefully, you will be fine. We are seeing many interviews lately, and although I heard one rumor about an ICE agent possibly present at the asylum office (in Virginia), nothing ever came from that and no one was detained. I would focus on gathering all evidence and making sure you are ready in case your interview is scheduled. Take care, Jason
Assuming the baby is a US citizen, the baby does not need to attend the interview, and it is better to leave the child with a babysitter, as having an infant at the interview can be a distraction for you and the officer. Take care, Jason
Jason you did not respond to that person’s above commentary anything on the possible arrest by ICE and we have a similar situation here with our family too. I personally find it very concerning. we heard much rumors of what is going on. We are in Texas office.
Natali.
I responded now. We are hearing about arrests in court, but not at the asylum offices. I plan to write about arrests in Immigration Court next week. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
If an asylum officer decides to refer a case to immigration court, does the asylum office wait years for background check results before mailing the decision and referring the case? Or do they issue the referral decision promptly and leave the completion of background checks to the immigration court? Thank you.
I do not know, but I have seen cases where the decision takes a very long time and the person still gets referred to court. Take care, Jason
I’m a GC holder, category AS06. My country status has changed and I haven’t met my family in years. With all what’s happening now in the states, I want to know 2 things: 1) Is it safe to renew my home country passport and use it to travel from/to the states? 2) Is the AS06 category could make issues at the airport and have my GC revoked (after transferring the case to a judge)?
Note: I’m meeting them in a third country not our home country.
I’m a GC holder, category AS06. My country status has changed and I haven’t met my family in years. With all what’s happening now in the states, I want to know 2 things: 1) Is it safe to renew my home country passport and use it to travel from/to the states? 2) Is the AS06 category could make issues at the airport and have my GC revoked (after transferring the case to a judge)?
You should be prepared to explain why you renewed your passport, and if you have a fear of your home government, you should be able to explain why your government was willing to issue you a new passport. I wrote more about this on May 25, 2022, but it is better for you to use a Refugee Travel Document. I doubt you would lose your status or even have trouble by renewing and using the passport, but the risk is probably not zero either, and so if you can avoid renewing or using the passport, that is the safer course. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I recently received a notice by mail requesting me to appear for an interview at the following address:
4050 Alpha Road, Suite 561, Farmers Branch, TX 75244
I have a couple of questions I’d appreciate clarification on:
1. Is this location a valid site for asylum interviews? I was under the impression that the Houston Asylum Office is located at:
16855 Northchase Drive, Second Floor, Houston, TX 77060.
I want to confirm that the address I received is accurate.
2. The notice also states:
“If you wish to submit additional evidence not previously submitted with your asylum application, you should submit it to the asylum office in writing as soon as possible or at least 7 to 10 days before the interview. You can mail the additional evidence to the asylum office or upload it via your myUSCIS account if you filed your application online.”
My application was filed by mail in 2016, but I do have a USCIS online account now. Am I still allowed to upload additional evidence online for convenience, even though the initial filing was not done through the online system?
Thank you very much for your time and assistance.
1 – I do not know that address, and I only have a few cases in TX, but they are in Houston. The asylum offices have sub-offices, and so maybe it is one of those. You can ask a lawyer who does more cases in TX if that office is familiar. I doubt this is a trick by ICE, but it does not hurt to learn more. 2 – I think there is no way to upload evidence for a cases filed by paper, and so you will have to mail it. Also, bring a hard copy of the evidence and proof of mailing/receipt with you, in case they do not receive what you send. Take care, Jason
Hello Mr. Jason,
I really appreciate for your help!
I am reading your blog from last 8 years. I have asked you few questions and you always respond very well.
We applied for the asylum in Nov 2016. We live in Orange County, CA. My friend told me today, he said, be ready, you will call for an interview soon. Is this true ?
Anybody from OC and know anything, please share with me.
I do not know the schedule for CA, but in many offices, they are interviewing old cases. We are seeing a lot of interviews for cases from 2015 and 2016, so it is possible you will get an interview soon, and it is important that you gather all your evidence, so you are ready to go if they schedule you. Take care, Jason
Good afternoon,
Is there any similar evidence that 2016 pending asylum cases are scheduled for interviews in NYC right now?
Thank you for all you do Jason!
I have not heard about NYC, sorry, but several other offices are interviewing 2016 or other old cases, and so it is possible NYC is doing that as well. It is a good idea to make sure your case is all ready, so you are prepared if an interview gets scheduled. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason and team, I’m wondering if USCIS will still need me to send evidence of one year presence in the US before issuing a green card? It doesn’t make much sense to me since they should have access to CBP records
We only send that if there is a reason to think you do not have enough time in the US, and so unless you have spent a lot of time outside the US, it is probably not necessary. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I have already applied for Naturalization through Asylum grant, in my asylum, I mentioned arrested and in affidavit I mentioned two incidents. But in my Green card application, I mentioned one incident only I forgot the other one because it was brief incident, now in Naturalization application, I mentioned one also. Now I remember it, I began to worry, do you think they create me problem for not mentioning the other incident.
It may be worthwhile to explain what happened in the I-485 and the N-400, as they will have a copy of the old I-589, so they will know about the two arrests. It may be better to explain what happened before they catch the inconsistency and then potentially accuse you of hiding the one arrest. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I sent mail on May 14 to reschedule my asylum interview and also I went in person on 22May, and there is no decision on my reschedule request ( Arlington office).
1. This offcourse makes my day of preparing the case too short, is it possible to send documents Monday June 2nd, for June 6 Friday interview ? It’s this week I have to prepare. They said atleast 7 days
2. Is it possible to ask to reschedule on the date of interview?
Thank you for all support
Hello Bedlu,
Wish you all the best at your interview brother!!!
I am a fellow Ethiopian asylum seeker waiting for the interview. How fast did they called you for interview? I am waiting for interview since 2017 and losing hope and even thinking about going back to Kenya or Uganda and start business. It is so exhausting waiting forever
Many offices are now interviewing old cases, and so you may get an interview relatively soon. It is a good idea to gather all your evidence so you are ready, just in case you get called for an interview. Take care, Jason
1 – Unfortunately, they have been very unfair about rescheduling – they often do not give enough notice prior to the interview and they make it impossible to reschedule. I think you will just have to do your best and get them the documents as soon as possible. Maybe you want to send what you have on time, and send the remaining documents later. 2 – It is very difficult, but maybe if you have a good reason, they will do it. I doubt that needing more time to finish the case is a reason they will accept. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason! I believe you mentioned in other replies to comments that asylum offices are also interviewing old cases in addition to doing LIFO? Is this claim backed by any policy, or is there a reasoning/explanation to how asylum offices are deciding whom to interview? My case was filed in 2017 in the Houston office so it has been pending for quite a while now, but I’ve been told that older cases are now being called up for interviews, but am unsure if this is a valid claim. Let me know what your thoughts are
We are seeing many older cases get interviewed at the asylum office, and I just had one case scheduled in Houston (I forget when it was filed, but it was a fairly old case). For this reason, it is important to get all your evidence ready, so you are prepared if the case gets scheduled for an interview. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I received an online notification that my interview has been scheduled, and that I will be receiving a notice by mail. I have a few questions and would appreciate your guidance:
1. When should I expect to receive the interview notice by mail?
2. Am I allowed to email all supporting documents to the Houston office prior to the interview, or is it required that I send them by mail? If I mail the hard copies of all my documents to them beforehand, do I still need to bring another set of hard copies with me to the interview?
3. Will the interviewing officer review my I-589 application before the interview? I need to make some updates to the information and would like to know the proper way to do so.
4. Should I bring all of my academic degrees and annual tax reports with me to the interview?
Thank you so much for any advice or assistance you can provide!
Congratulations on your interview being scheduled!
I tried to add my account to USCIS online but it won’t let me. Would you mind sharing how you added your case to online account? Fyi- I have applied back in 2017
As far as I know, you can’t add your case to your USCIS online account unless it’s related to a work permit. However, you can check your case status by Googling “USCIS case status online” — it will take you to a page where you can enter your case number and view the current status.
Hope this helps!
As far as I know, there is no way to add a paper I-589 case to the USCIS online account. However, you can use your asylum receipt number (which starts with the letter Z and is on your original asylum receipt) to check your case status at http://www.uscis.gov. Take care, Jason
Hi Therese,
I was interviewed at the Houston asylum office last week. The process was straightforward, and all questions were based on the written statement submitted with my case. The officer began by reviewing the original information provided at the time of filing and made adjustments based on any updated details.
I was asked if I had any additional documents to submit, such as missing evidence or newspaper articles. They accepted the documents I provided. At the end of the interview, I was asked to sign a form confirming that my interview had been completed. I was informed that a decision would be mailed to me within two weeks.
Waiting for decision, please pray for all to get approved
Good luck – I hope you get positive news soon, Jason
Hi Yima,
Thank you for sharing such helpful information. I really appreciate it!
May I ask if you submitted your documents by email or mailed hard copies prior to the interview? Also, how long did your interview last? I hope you receive good news very soon! Let’s keep praying for one another.
1 – Probably in the next week or so 2 – I do not know the rule for Houston, but some offices do allow people to submit evidence by email. You can also send evidence by mail. I always bring a hard copy to the interview, just in case the asylum office has lost the documents that we sent to them. 3 – You can write down the updates and submit them with your other evidence or bring them to the interview with you. 4 – The most important documents to bring originals are passports and family documents (marriage certificate and birth certificates of children), but you should bring any originals you think are helpful or important for the case, and if you are not sure whether to bring a particular original, you should just bring it – that way, you have it if the officer wants to see it. So I would bring these documents, though I doubt they will want to review them. Take care, Jason
Good morning Jason,
Now that the U.S. government, under the Trump administration, temporarily paused the processing of green card applications for individuals granted refugee or asylum status, do you lawyers planning to fight this in court? Why are you taking so long to fight for us? Don’t you believe that the decision taken by this administration is illegal? How come we have paid for the services but USCIS has intentionally refused to render us their services we paid them for. They may decide to deny all our applications if they want to but denying us the services we paid them for, does it make any sense to me. USCIS stole our money because they know that we are weak and vulnerable. It is a shame!!!
Hey, it’s NOT paused or at least not for everyone. We have found at least 20 ppl who got GC based on refugee/asylum since April from different countries in Latin America,Africa,Russia and etc.
So lets hope rumors gonna stay rumors.
No confirmation about pause from USCIS/DHS.
We have very little info about the pause. AILA (the main immigration lawyers association) has filed a request to get more info, and we will see what that reveals. Whether there will be a class action-type lawsuit, I do not know, but individuals can file mandamus lawsuits to force USCIS to process their cases. I think we will need to know more about what is happening before there is any type of class action lawsuit, and hopefully, we will have more info soon. Take care, Jason
Hi jason,
My individual hearing was ought to be in 2020 but got delayed due to covid and ive not received any date since then.
Pls ive few questions
1. Do you have any of such case and do you have an idea if they are getting re scheduled for individual hearing in recent times?
2. If the case gets rescheduled will i get a notice for the new date in the mail or only my lawyer will receive such notice? I just want to make sure i dont miss such important notice however my address with the court is up to date.
3. Can you please shed light on asylum seekers going for IH and getting arrested by ICE?
Thanks
1 – We have been seeing some cases that were previously dismissed get scheduled for hearings, but I do not know about cases that were delayed due to Covid. 2 – The lawyer normally receives notice if you have a lawyer. You can also follow the link under Resources called EOIR Case Status, and enter your Alien number. It will tell you if you have a hearing date scheduled. 3 – I plan to write about that in the next couple weeks, but most of those arrested seem to be people who arrived in the US during the last 2 years, or people who were detained (even if only for a few hours) at the US-Mexico border. Take care, Jason
I am applying for naturalization based on asylum. In the past five years, I have lived at four different addresses. For three of them, I submitted a change of address and received confirmation emails. However, for one address, I initially believed I had submitted the change, but upon checking, I realized I may have submitted as I did not receive a confirmation. Since that, I have moved twice and properly submitted change of address notifications for both. Although one of them was updated about two weeks after moving, all my current information is now up to date. Do you think this could be problem? If so how to correct it.
I do not think it will be a problem. List all your address on the N-400 form, as required. If they ask you about the problematic address (which I doubt), you can explain what happened. I do not think a minor issue like that would cause any problem, and I have never heard anyone get into trouble for such a thing during a naturalization case. Take care, Jason
Hello sir, i have asylum case pending with uscis ( asymu
Office). my asylum office is in state of virginia. But my case has been pending with uscis for 8 years but i have pending dui charges will this result in denial of maybe arrests at asylum offices. Have you seen people getting arrested at asylum offices like there are reports of in uscis field offices.
You would need to present the “disposition” (final outcome) of the case with your other evidence. I doubt a DUI would cause the asylum case to be denied or you to be detained at the asylum office. I do think it is worthwhile to have a lawyer review the conviction to advise you about that, as there are different types of DUIs and the specific conviction could make a different in how you approach the case. Also, the Virginia office is interviewing old cases and so be sure to gather you evidence and get ready, just in case you get scheduled for an interview soon. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
I have a question regarding N400 (asylum based)application part 9 question 15b. Do we need to mention detentions in the home country (which are the base of the asylum case) the question does not specify.
Thanks for all you do.
If you listed political arrests or detentions in your asylum case and green card application (form I-485), you should also list them in your N-400. Whether the question should be answered “yes” or “no” depends on whether you think you were subject to an arrest, but either way, you can include an explanation on the supplement page that the arrest was not a lawful arrest, or that it was political, and that you mentioned it in your asylum application. The key is that all the forms are consistent, and if there are inconsistencies (you forgot to mention the detention on form I-485, for example), you should provide an explanation. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I want to order EOIR transcripts from my hearing. How can i do this in NYC Federal plaza? No one answers phone, how does it work?
If the case is at the Board of Immigration Appeals, they will create a transcript and send it to you, but if the case is at the Immigration Court, I think they do not prepare a transcript. You should be able to go to the court and listen to the recording of the hearing. You may have to go in person to make that request, as I do not know how to do that beforehand, aside from calling. Take care, Jason
How to add asylum case to online account. I applied paper based asylum back in jan 2023 by mail . I have work permit and receipt of asylum . When i try to add asylum case to my online account i cant .but i was able to add work permit applications when work permits were pending. paper filed i-589 cant be added. Also i didnt write my online account number on my i-589 so maybe thats why i cant add it. In ead application they gave me a code which i used to add case to online account.
Secondly in Arlington asylum office will i get interview soon or 2023 applicants are not getting interviews.
Thirdly republicans passed a bill which makes work permits for asylum 6 months will uscis take our 5 year work permit and give us 6 months work permits .
1 – As far as I know, it is not possible to add a paper-filed I-589 to the online account. Maybe that will change, but at this time, I think you cannot do it. 2 – Arlington is currently interviewing newest cases, so mostly 2025 and maybe some 2024, and oldest cases, which are mostly 2015, 2016, and maybe 2017. I do not know when they will get to 2023, but much of this seems pretty random, and so it is a good idea to get your case ready and have all your evidence, so you can submit it when they schedule your interview – they do not give much advance notice about the interviews, and so if you do not have your evidence and you wait to get your interview notice, you may not have enough time to gather and submit everything. Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason for your help!
I have a quick question, what happens if your asylum case is denied at the uscis interview? Will i be deported immediately at the interview to a third country? My home country passport was expired in 2018 and i never bothered renewing it. I applied for asylum in 2017 while i was in F1 visa and eventually got work permit though pending asylum application. Currently i do not have any visa status except pending asylum. I never over stayed because i applied for asylum while on F1 student status.
Your response will be much appreciated 🙏🏽
In this situation, if you are denied at the asylum office, your case will be referred to Immigration Court where you can present the case again to a judge. The judge will either grant asylum (or some other relief) or order you deported. That order can be appealed. So you have a way to go before you can legally be removed from the U.S. Do note that the asylum offices are interviewing many old cases, and so you should make sure you have all your evidence and are ready to go, just in case you get scheduled soon for an interview. Take care, Jason
Thank you for all you do for people in need.
You are great human being. Proud to share the world with you.
Thank you, Jason
Hi Jason,
I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to follow up on an issue we previously discussed regarding a USCIS error. I had originally applied for asylum, and my case was referred to an immigration judge. Due to COVID delays, I didn’t receive a hearing for a long time. In the meantime, I applied for EB1A. Fortunately, before the EB1A was processed, I received an individual hearing, and the judge approved my asylum case.
A few months later, my EB1A petition was also approved, and I proceeded to apply for adjustment of status based on that EB1A approval. However, USCIS mistakenly attached someone else’s VAWA case to my file. I filed a FOIA request to clarify the matter, contacted USCIS, and also reached out to my congressman. USCIS scheduled an in-person appointment, took new biometrics, and assured me that the VAWA case had been removed from my record.
However, today I received the FOIA documents, and to my surprise, the VAWA case of someone else still appears in my file. I called USCIS again to reconfirm, and I also contacted the attorney representing the individual whose VAWA case was mistakenly linked to mine to inform them of the situation.
I’m reaching out to ask if there’s anything else I should be doing at this point to ensure this issue is fully resolved and doesn’t affect my adjustment of status process. Your guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
I am not sure there is much more to do. There used to be an Ombudsman’s office at USCIS and that would have been a good place to go to for help, but the current Administration eliminated the office. It sounds like you have a record of your efforts to correct the problem, and that should be helpful if USCIS ever questions this or it causes you any difficulty. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Are these numbers for the cases referred from asylum office or for defensive?
As I understand, they are all asylum cases in court, however they got to court. Take care, Jason