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.”
Officers have been instructed not to approve, deny, or close any asylum application for any nationality, although work on applications can continue up to but not including approval or denial, according to Reuters.
Newsweek contacted the White House and the USCIS via email for comment outside of regular business hours.
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 awaiting 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.
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.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
