The federal government has suspended all asylum decisions following a Washington, D.C., shooting that killed one National Guard member and left another critically wounded. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow announced the decision Friday evening, saying the agency will stop finalizing asylum cases “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.” He added on X that protecting the American public is the agency’s top priority.
The new pause follows President Trump’s wider vow to sharply curtail immigration from nations he described as “third world” countries. On Truth Social, the president said he would temporarily halt migration from those countries to give the U.S. system time to recover and called for what he described as “reverse migration.” In remarks to reporters, he broadened his criticism of asylum seekers, characterizing many as criminals or otherwise dangerous; when told the suspected shooter had been vetted as a former CIA asset, Trump dismissed the point and reiterated negative comments about immigrants from some countries, including Somalis.
Edlow said he was also directed to carry out “a full scale, rigorous reexamination” of green cards held by noncitizens from unspecified countries of concern. A June White House proclamation had already imposed travel restrictions on 12 countries — including Afghanistan — and placed partial limits on seven others, though Edlow did not identify which nations will be reviewed now.
The Department of Homeland Security told CNN it had halted all immigration requests from Afghanistan and was reviewing asylum approvals issued under the previous administration. DHS declined to provide additional comment to NPR.
Law enforcement identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national admitted to the United States in 2021 after working with the CIA against the Taliban. President Trump called the shooting a terrorist attack during a Thanksgiving Day call with service members and blamed the Biden administration and the broader immigration system for allowing the suspect into the country.
The administration has already pursued more aggressive removal policies and negotiated third-country deportation arrangements. Officials have sent Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, some people to Eswatini and South Sudan, and secured an agreement with Rwanda to receive deportees.
The United Nations human rights office criticized sweeping pauses on asylum processing. Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said in Geneva that asylum seekers are entitled to protection under international law and must be afforded due process, urging that those obligations not be ignored in the aftermath of the attack.