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.

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