The Trump administration has announced a suspension of all asylum decisions following a shooting incident in Washington, D.C., involving an Afghan national. The shooting left one member of the National Guard dead and another critically injured. Joseph Edlow, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated on Friday that the agency will pause asylum decisions until it can ensure thorough vetting of all foreign nationals. "The safety of the American people always comes first," Edlow wrote on social media.

This decision comes in the wake of the alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan who entered the U.S. in 2021 after working with the CIA against the Taliban. Lakanwal reportedly shot two National Guardsmen near the Farragut West Metro Station on November 26. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition.

President Trump has vowed to implement stricter immigration policies, particularly targeting individuals from what he refers to as "Third World countries." In a post on Truth Social, he stated, "I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover." He also indicated that only "reverse migration" could resolve the current immigration issues.

The administration is already deporting some immigrants to their home countries or to third countries that have agreed to accept them. Recent deportations have included Venezuelans sent to El Salvador and migrants sent to Eswatini and South Sudan. Edlow mentioned that he has been instructed to conduct a comprehensive review of every Green Card for foreign nationals from countries deemed concerning, although he did not specify which countries would be included.

In June, a White House proclamation had already placed travel bans on 12 countries, including several African nations and Afghanistan. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that it has halted all immigration requests from Afghanistan and is reviewing asylum cases approved under the previous administration.

The shooting incident has reignited discussions about immigration policies and national security. During a Thanksgiving call with servicemembers, Trump labeled the shooting a terrorist attack and referred to Lakanwal as a "savage monster." He criticized the Biden administration for allowing Lakanwal into the country and expressed a general disdain for immigration seekers, suggesting that many are gang members or have criminal backgrounds.

When questioned about Lakanwal's vetting process, Trump dismissed the inquiry, calling the reporter "stupid." He further commented on Afghan immigrants, stating, "No, but there's a lot of problems with Afghans," and made disparaging remarks about Somali immigrants, despite acknowledging that they had no connection to the shooting.

The United Nations has condemned the administration's sweeping immigration halts, emphasizing that individuals seeking asylum are entitled to protection under international law and should receive due process. U.N. human rights office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence reiterated this stance during a press briefing in Geneva.