Scene of the shooting incident involving an Afghan national in the National Guard in Washington D.C. last November [EPA Yonhap News]

The U.S. Donald Trump administration will partially resume asylum review procedures that were completely suspended.

According to U.S. CBS News on the 29th (local time), the Department of Homeland Security has decided to restart the review process for asylum applicants from countries not classified as high-risk.

The Department of Homeland Security stated in a press release, "We will resume reviews for low-risk applicants who have undergone thorough vetting and concentrate resources on the review of high-risk individuals," adding, "The principles of strict review and vetting for all foreigners remain unchanged."

Previously, the Trump administration suspended the immigration authorities' asylum review procedures in November last year, immediately following a shooting incident by an Afghan national in the National Guard in Washington D.C.

This was because concerns about loopholes in the asylum review system spread after it was confirmed that the suspect in the National Guard shooting incident was residing in the U.S. as an asylum seeker after cooperating with the U.S. military in Afghanistan in the past.

However, it is understood that the authorities recently decided on some relaxation as the prolonged suspension of reviews has increased administrative burden and disrupted normal immigration procedures.

Although the authorities are resuming asylum review procedures, they plan to maintain the suspension of reviews for individuals from 39 countries, including those in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.

For individuals from 39 countries subject to travel bans and entry restrictions, including Afghanistan, Iran, Laos, Senegal, Somalia, and Nigeria, other immigration procedures such as work permits and green card applications are also suspended.

The Trump administration maintains that the suspension of immigration procedures for individuals from some countries is an unavoidable measure to prevent immigration fraud and enhance national security.