The Trump administration has ordered an immediate and sweeping halt to all US asylum decisions following the fatal shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House by an Afghan national. The move is part of a broad crackdown on immigration, visa, and green card cases.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Immediate Policy Changes
- Total Asylum Freeze: US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow confirmed the immediate pause on all asylum rulings. Edlow stated the pause will remain until every applicant can be “vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible” to ensure the safety of the American people.
- Afghan Visa Freeze: The State Department, led by Secretary Marco Rubio, announced an immediate freeze on visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports. This action triggers a fresh review of over 100,000 pending Afghan immigration cases.
- Review of Previous Approvals: The administration launched reviews of:
- All asylum approvals issued during the Biden administration.
- Green card applications from nationals of 19 countries previously flagged under security-based travel restrictions.
The Triggering Incident
The policy reversal follows Wednesday’s attack where Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who had been resettled in the US in 2021 and granted asylum earlier this year, allegedly shot two members of the West Virginia National Guard.
- Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her injuries.
- Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
President Trump Vows Escalated Crackdown
In a late-night post on Truth Social, President Trump vowed to significantly expand future restrictions:
- Permanent Migration Pause: He pledged to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries.”
- Reverse Migration: Trump vowed to pursue “REVERSE MIGRATION,” which would involve revoking the citizenship and legal status of foreign nationals he believes undermine domestic tranquility or are “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”
The crackdown signals an intention to target the legal status of large numbers of foreign-born residents, a population of roughly 50 million people nationwide.
