By Zomi Press Staff December 4, 2025 – Washington D.C/ New York
In a series of rapid executive actions and policy memos since his inauguration earlier this year, President Donald J. Trump has unleashed what immigration advocates call a “shock-and-awe” blitz on U.S. immigration pathways. These changes—rooted in national security proclamations and expanded travel restrictions—target asylum seekers, refugees, green card holders, and citizenship applicants, with profound implications for vulnerable communities worldwide, including the Zomi people from Myanmar (Burma). As a trilingual platform committed to empowering the Zomi diaspora, Zomi Press is here to unpack these developments with clarity, compassion, and unyielding integrity. Our goal: to inform, connect, and inspire action amid uncertainty.
Drawing from official USCIS announcements, legal analyses, and community reports, this report outlines the key changes, their legal basis, real-world scenarios, and balanced perspectives on pros, cons, and cautions. Myanmar’s inclusion on the expanded travel ban list heightens the stakes for Zomi families fleeing conflict, many of whom arrived as refugees or asylees during the Biden era (2021–2025). Let’s break it down.
Key Changes: A Sweeping Review and Freeze on Pathways
The Trump administration’s moves build on his first-term playbook but amplify them through executive orders, USCIS directives, and a controversial “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed in July 2025, which allocated $170 billion for enforcement. Here’s a snapshot:
- Asylum Adjudications Paused Indefinitely: On November 28, 2025, USCIS halted all decisions on pending asylum applications, citing the need for “maximum vetting.” New filings are still accepted, but processing is frozen. This echoes a January 2025 executive order declaring a southern border “invasion,” which bars asylum claims at ports of entry and expands expedited removal nationwide—allowing ICE to deport anyone unable to prove two years’ U.S. residency without a full hearing. For Zomi asylum seekers from Myanmar’s civil war zones, this means prolonged limbo, with over 17,600 applications pending from Q3 2025 alone, but approvals slashed to just 2,800.
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Under Siege: TPS, which shields nationals from countries like Myanmar from deportation due to ongoing crises, faces termination efforts. In May 2025, protections ended for 77,000 Afghans, and similar moves target Burmese TPS holders (extended under Biden in 2021). A federal judge blocked an Afghan rollback in July, but appeals loom. Zomi TPS recipients—many in Chin State—risk sudden deportation to unsafe conditions.
- Employment Authorization Documents (EADs): While not explicitly frozen, EAD renewals for asylees, TPS holders, and parolees are tangled in the broader pause. USCIS now treats origins from restricted countries as a “significant negative factor,” delaying work permits and stranding families without income.
- Green Cards and Applications: Processing for family-based, employment, and humanitarian green cards from 19 banned countries is suspended, affecting 4.3 million U.S. residents. Existing green cards face “full-scale reexamination” with mandatory re-interviews and heightened scrutiny—prioritized within 90 days. For Zomi green card applicants sponsored by U.S. relatives, this could mean canceled interviews and referrals to ICE.
- ICE Enforcement Ramp-Up: ICE’s budget has ballooned, funding mass detentions (now “to the fullest extent possible”) and workplace raids. Expedited removals apply countrywide, targeting long-term residents. Reports of family separations echo 2018’s horrors, with mental health crises rising among children.
- Citizenship Applications: Naturalization ceremonies and interviews are halted for applicants from the 19 countries, including long-term green card holders. An executive order aims to end birthright citizenship for children of non-citizens, despite constitutional protections—likely sparking lawsuits.
- Case Reviews and Refugee Rollbacks: A November 21, 2025, USCIS memo mandates re-interviews for all 235,000+ refugees admitted 2021–early 2025, freezing green card paths and allowing status revocations. This targets Biden’s higher caps (up to 125,000 annually), now slashed to 7,500 for FY2026—a 95% cut. Afghan parolees (post-2021 evacuation) face visa halts tied to a D.C. shooting incident.
- Expanded Travel Ban on 19 Countries: Revived and broadened from June 2025, this fully restricts entry from Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen. It pauses all visas and benefits, treating these nations as “high-risk.”
These policies stem from proclamations under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Sections 212(f) and 235(b), but critics argue they overstep due process under the 14th Amendment and international refugee conventions.
Implications and Scenarios: Plights in the Zomi/ Myanmar Diaspora
For Zomi families—many displaced by Myanmar’s 2021 coup and ethnic violence—these changes hit home. A Chin refugee in Seattle, granted asylum in 2023, now fears re-interview: “We’ve built lives here—jobs, schools for our kids. One vetting error, and it’s all gone.” Scenarios include:
- Family Separations: A parent deported via expedited removal leaves U.S.-citizen children in foster care, exacerbating trauma documented in KFF studies.
- Economic Hardship: Delayed EADs halt remittances to Myanmar kin; Zomi/ Myanmar entrepreneurs in agriculture face raids, worsening food insecurity.
- Health and Mental Toll: Detention surges correlate with anxiety spikes; refugee benefits (SNAP, Medicaid) are scrutinized, hitting 50%+ unemployment rates in new cohorts.
Broader plights: 700,000 TPS holders and 500,000 Dreamers at risk nationwide, per Project 2025 blueprints.
| Category | Pre-Trump (Biden Era) | Trump 2025 Changes | Zomi Impact Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refugee Admissions | 125,000 cap (2024) | 7,500 cap (FY2026) | Fewer Chin State evacuees resettled |
| Asylum Approvals | ~40% grant rate | Paused; Q3: 2,800/17,600 | Pending Myanmar cases frozen |
| TPS Coverage | Extended for Burma | Targeted termination | 10,000+ Zomi/ Myanmar at deportation risk |
| Green Card Processing | 1M+ annually | Paused for 19 countries | Family reunifications stalled |
Pros, Cons, Facts, and Cautions: A Balanced Lens
Pros (Administration View): Enhanced security post-D.C. shooting; reduced “invasion” claims; prioritized U.S. workers amid housing strains. Facts: Refugee vetting uncovered 1,600+ Afghan terror ties (DHS 2022).
Cons (Advocates’ View): Humanitarian crisis; economic drag ($ billions in lost taxes, workforce gaps in healthcare/construction); innovation stifled (immigrants founded 60% of top AI firms). Facts: Undocumented immigrants net-positive for Social Security/Medicare; mass deportations cost taxpayers $100B+ annually.
Cautions: Policies face lawsuits (e.g., Pacito v. Trump on refugee suspension). Self-deportation incentives loom, but legal aid is key. Zomi kin: Document everything; avoid travel; consult pro bono via IRAP or local orgs.
A Call to Unity and Resilience
These policies test our shared humanity, but they cannot dim the Zomi spirit of resilience. At Zomi Press, we celebrate your stories—of innovation in diaspora hubs, cultural preservation amid exile. Join our community forums on YouTube and Facebook to share experiences and strategies. Knowledge is our bridge; together, we build futures beyond borders.
For resources: Visit usahello.org or refugereights.org. Stay informed—stay connected.
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Zomi Press: Beyond News & Views. Empowering voices, fostering progress. Email: info@zomipress.com | Website: zomipress.com
References:
https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-7-part-m-chapter-3