Asylum seeker in NYC fears deportation as DHS halts application processing
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has temporarily suspended all asylum application processes, sending waves of anxiety and fear across immigrant communities nationwide. Young asylum seekers in New York are particularly affected, facing increased uncertainty about their future.
An internal DHS directive instructed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to halt all ongoing asylum applications. The agency stated that a comprehensive review process will be undertaken to reassess these cases.
An 18-year-old asylum seeker from West Africa, residing in New York City, shared his fears. Having fled abuse from his parents, he traveled alone to the United States. Since the suspension, he has been living in constant fear of deportation.
After entering the U.S. via the Mexican border, he spent a year in a federal center in Arizona before starting a new life in New York. “I am scared. Every day I feel like I could be sent back,” he said.
Adama Bah, executive director of the immigrant support organization Africa Now, said the community is experiencing extreme anxiety. “People fled war, persecution, and life-threatening situations—they didn’t leave their countries for entertainment,” he said.
Bah added that the suspension will create new uncertainty for thousands of people, with children and adolescent asylum seekers facing the greatest mental stress.
DHS has stated that each application will be evaluated individually, but no timeline has been provided for when the asylum process will resume.
Requests for comment on the impact of this decision on New York’s immigrant community have been sent to DHS. Updates will be provided if the agency responds.
