Kathmandu: Trump administration has suspended all asylum decisions following the fatal shooting of a US National Guard member in Washington DC, an incident authorities blame on an Afghan national, BBC reported.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow instructed officers to pause approving, denying or closing asylum cases “until maximum vetting can be ensured,” according to guidance obtained by CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. Officers may continue reviewing cases but cannot issue decisions.
The move came hours after President Donald Trump vowed to “permanently pause migration” from what he called “third world countries,” following Wednesday’s attack that killed 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and left another soldier critically injured.
According to BBC reporting, the administration has also suspended immigration processing for Afghans and ordered a re-examination of green cards issued to migrants from 19 countries referenced in a recent White House proclamation, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia and Venezuela.
UN officials urged the US to uphold its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention, while immigration advocates accused the administration of scapegoating migrants without evidence of motive. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived in the US in 2021 under a programme for Afghans who assisted US forces and had worked with a CIA-linked unit. He was vetted at the time and later granted asylum in 2024, though his green card application remains pending.
The latest measures mark a further tightening of immigration policies under Trump’s second term, including mass deportation plans, reduced refugee admissions and efforts to end birthright citizenship.