The Trump administration has announced a suspension of all asylum decisions following a shooting involving two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated that this pause will be in effect “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.” This directive was issued shortly after President Trump announced a plan to “permanently pause migration” from what he termed “third world countries.”
The shooting resulted in the death of one National Guard member and injuries to another, with an Afghan national being accused of the crime. As a result of this incident, USCIS staff have been directed to halt any approvals, denials, or closures of pending asylum applications across all nationalities, though officers can continue to work on cases up to the decision point. Details remain limited regarding the specific countries affected by Trump’s migration halt, and the administration’s previous travel bans targeting countries with majority-Muslim populations have drawn criticism and potential legal challenges.
In a broader context, the USCIS plans to re-examine green cards issued to individuals from 19 countries, including Afghanistan and several others, without disclosing specific processes. Concurrently, Trump expressed intentions to cut federal benefits for noncitizens, claiming this would help restore the U.S. system’s integrity.
The suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, immigrated to the U.S. in 2021 under a program designed for Afghans who assisted U.S. forces. Following the shooting, Lakanwal was arrested but reportedly is not cooperating with authorities. As investigations continue, questions persist regarding the implications of these immigration policy changes and the underlying motivations behind such actions.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxweyy157go?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss