The Trump administration has suspended all asylum decisions nationwide after a shooting in Washington, D.C., left one National Guard soldier dead and another critically injured. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow confirmed that no asylum applications from any country will receive final approval, denial, or closure until the government completes what he called a “full and thorough vetting” process for foreign nationals.
The suspension was announced just hours after President Donald Trump said he would “permanently pause migration” from all so-called “Third World countries,” drawing immediate concern from global rights groups and the United Nations.
Authorities said the D.C. attack was carried out by an individual of Afghan origin, which initially led to restrictions targeting Afghan nationals. Soon after, however, the administration expanded the freeze to all asylum seekers, regardless of nationality. According to CBS News, USCIS officers may continue basic processing, but no decisions can be finalized.
In addition to the asylum halt, the administration has intensified its wider immigration agenda in Trump’s second term escalating mass deportations, lowering refugee admissions, and ending birthright citizenship for many children born in the U.S. Following Wednesday’s shooting, the U.S. also temporarily stopped issuing visas to Afghan nationals and suspended all Afghan immigration cases.
USCIS further announced it will re-examine previously issued green cards for migrants from 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, and Venezuela. Officials have not yet explained how the review will be conducted.
President Trump also declared that all federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens will be cut, claiming asylum seekers create “social disruption” and promising to deport “anyone who does not prove to be an asset to America.” He also alleged that Somali refugees have “changed” Minnesota in negative ways, repeating his vow to permanently stop migration from “Third World countries.”
Human rights experts and legal advocates have strongly criticized the measures. The United Nations urged the U.S. to respect international refugee protections, while Jeremy McKinney, former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, told the BBC that Trump’s actions amount to “scapegoating refugees.”
