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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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The Trump administration has ordered an immediate halt to all asylum decisions nationwide following a fatal shooting near the White House that left a National Guard member dead and another critically injured.
Joseph Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced late Friday that the agency was pausing all asylum decisions "until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."
Newsweek contacted the White House and the USCIS via email for comment outside of regular business hours.
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Why It Matters
The asylum freeze marks a significant escalation in Trump's second-term campaign to restrict both legal and unauthorized immigration, setting up likely legal battles and affecting thousands of asylum decisions.
It comes as the US faces scrutiny at home and abroad over its obligations to international asylum and refugee agreements, and underscores the administration's claim to prioritize national security in the wake of violent incidents involving migrants.
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What To Know
The USCIS's latest announcement follows a double shooting that took place near the White House on Wednesday, resulting in the death of specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old member of the West Virginia National Guard.
The second target, staff sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in a critical condition.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the suspect, had entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program for Afghans who aided US military forces after having worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War, according to The Associated Press.
His asylum was granted earlier this year under the Trump administration, according to a group that assists with the resettlement of Afghans who helped the U.S. in the region, AP reported.
Trump described the incident as a "terrorist attack" and further pledged to "permanently pause migration" from all "third world countries."
It also follows the State Department's decision to pause all visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports, according to Mark Rubio.
The Secretary of State posted on X: "President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for all individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people."
The administration has also announced a reexamination of green cards issued to individuals from 19 countries previously identified in a June White House proclamation. The specific countries were not publicly named.
What People Are Saying
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "Even as we have progressed technologically, Immigration Policy has eroded those gains and living conditions for many. I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization."
Speaking about the suspect, Jeremy McKinney, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, told the BBC: "These types of issues, they don't know skin colour, they don't know nationality. When a person becomes radicalised or is suffering some type of mental illness, that person can come from any background."
A review of academic work in the Annual Review of Criminology has disputed claims that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes than U.S. residents. It says: "With few exceptions, studies conducted at both the aggregate and individual levels demonstrate that high concentrations of immigrants are not associated with increased levels of crime and delinquency across neighborhoods and cities in the United States."
What Happens Next
The asylum pause may lead to legal challenges on the grounds of due process and compliance with international refugee agreements, such as the 1953 Refugee Convention.
The Trump administration's review of existing green cards for individuals from "countries of concern" also raises questions about due process for lawful residents.
A timeline for resuming asylum decisions or clarification on which additional countries may be affected by expanded migration bans has not yet been announced.
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