In a significant policy shift, the Trump administration has ordered an immediate halt to all asylum decisions in the United States. This dramatic move comes directly after a deadly shooting incident in Washington, DC that claimed the life of a National Guard soldier.
DC Attack Triggers Immigration Policy Overhaul
The decision to pause asylum processing was announced on Friday by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This action follows Wednesday's attack that officials confirm was carried out by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who received asylum earlier this year. The suspect had originally entered the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration's humanitarian parole programme before being granted asylum this spring.
One of the two soldiers shot during the attack has tragically died from their injuries. The incident has prompted immediate and far-reaching changes to US immigration procedures, with the administration emphasizing national security concerns.
Comprehensive Asylum Processing Freeze
The asylum pause affects applicants of all nationalities and specifically covers "affirmative" asylum cases handled directly by USCIS. While immigration officers will continue conducting interviews and case reviews, they have been instructed to stop at the final decision-making stage.
All in-person appointments scheduled for Monday, where applicants typically receive their final decisions, have been cancelled indefinitely. In an official statement to CBS News, USCIS director Joe Edlow confirmed the sweeping decision, stating: "USCIS has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."
Edlow emphasized that "the safety of the American people always comes first," underscoring the administration's security-first approach to immigration policy.
Broader Immigration Crackdown Implemented
The asylum freeze represents just one component of a wider set of immigration actions announced following the shooting incident. Earlier this week, the administration had already paused processing of all legal immigration applications from Afghan nationals, including green cards, citizenship applications, and work permits.
Additionally, USCIS has initiated a detailed review of green card cases involving individuals from 19 countries listed under a presidential proclamation issued in June. The administration is taking a comprehensive approach to immigration security in the wake of the attack.
In a late Thursday announcement, President Trump revealed even more ambitious plans, stating his intention to "permanently pause migration from all third world countries." He further announced that his administration would seek to revoke citizenship from those considered threats to "domestic tranquillity" and deport any foreign national viewed as a security risk or "non-compatible with Western civilisation."
The series of announcements signals a significant hardening of US immigration policy, with the DC shooting serving as the catalyst for these substantial changes to America's approach to asylum and immigration vetting procedures.
