Washington DC - For the first time in months, President Donald Trump's administration has finally resumed processing asylum applications, but only from countries it deems to be "non-high-risk."

The decision by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to resume processing asylum applications comes after the agency halted such claims following the November shooting of two National Guard members in Washington DC.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said at the time that the agency "halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every [person] is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."

This was triggered by the revelation that the man who had shot the National Guards, one of whom died of her injuries, was an asylum seeker from Afghanistan.

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"USCIS has lifted the adjudicative hold for thoroughly screened asylum seekers from non-high-risk countries," the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to CBS News on Sunday.

"This move allows resources to focus on continued rigorous national security and public safety vetting for higher-risk cases."

The agency will continue to withhold all applications filed by nationals on the 39-nation-strong "travel ban" list. Passport holders from these countries are also unable to obtain work permits, green cards, or US citizenship.

On Monday, the USCIS released a press release with updates on the agency's new vetting process, declaring that "Many applicants for naturalization and lawful permanent residence were not sufficiently vetted."

"As a result, applications were approved, and individuals were naturalized who should not have been," the statement concluded.

"These gaps expose the United States to significant national security and public safety risks and compromise the integrity of the immigration system."