U.S. Halts All Asylum Decisions After Deadly Washington Shooting, Signalling Major Escalation in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Freeze follows attack allegedly carried out by Afghan national; visa suspensions and broader migration restrictions widened as political tensions intensify The United States has temporarily...
Freeze follows attack allegedly carried out by Afghan national; visa suspensions and broader migration restrictions widened as political tensions intensify
The United States has temporarily frozen all asylum decisions nationwide following a deadly shooting involving two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., an incident that has triggered sweeping new immigration actions by President Donald Trump. The move represents one of the most consequential escalations of the administration’s hard-line migration agenda since Trump returned to office.
The announcement came Friday, November 28, 2025, two days after an Afghan national allegedly opened fire a few blocks from the White House, killing one soldier and critically injuring another. The attack has intensified an already polarized debate over immigration, national security, and the treatment of Afghans resettled after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal.
Asylum Freeze and Expanded Restrictions
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director Joseph Edlow said the agency had “paused all asylum decisions” until it could guarantee the “maximum possible screening” of applicants. Although USCIS has not indicated how long the freeze will last, immigration attorneys say the impact will be immediate and far-reaching, affecting tens of thousands of pending cases.
The freeze followed Trump’s late-Thursday declaration that the U.S. would “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” to give federal systems “time to recover.” The Department of Homeland Security referred inquiries to an existing list of 19 countries—among them Afghanistan, Iran, Haiti, Cuba, and Myanmar—that have faced heightened travel restrictions since June.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio later confirmed that all visas for individuals traveling on Afghan passports had been suspended “on a temporary but immediate basis,” describing the measures as necessary to safeguard U.S. security.
A Shooting That Rekindled Old Fault Lines
The alleged gunman, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, previously served in a CIA-backed paramilitary force during the Afghanistan conflict. He resettled in the United States through a special program designed for Afghans who assisted U.S. military and intelligence agencies—a system long viewed as a moral obligation by previous administrations.
Federal prosecutors announced Friday that Lakanwal would face murder charges. The attack killed 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, a National Guard member from West Virginia, who had been deployed to Washington as part of Trump’s renewed domestic security coverage. A second soldier, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remained in critical condition.
Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to pursue the death penalty, calling Lakanwal a “monster,” rhetoric that critics say risks inflaming tensions toward Afghan refugees and asylum seekers.
The incident has further blurred the already fraught lines between immigration policy and America’s two-decade war in Afghanistan—particularly as the Trump administration expands its use of National Guard personnel domestically.
Green Cards Under Scrutiny as Trump Targets Past Admissions
The White House also signalled plans to revisit “millions” of admissions granted under former President Joe Biden. USCIS confirmed it will re-examine green cards issued to migrants from the 19 restricted countries, a sweeping review affecting more than 1.6 million permanent residents, or roughly 12% of all green card holders.
Data analysed by AFP shows Afghanistan alone accounts for more than 116,000 of these individuals.
Trump has claimed that Lakanwal’s entry was a product of “unvetted” policies following the 2021 withdrawal. But AfghanEvac, a major resettlement advocacy organization, strongly rejected that assertion, noting that Afghans entering under special programs undergo “some of the most intensive security vetting in the world.”
The group’s president, Shawn VanDiver, accused the administration of seizing on a single violent act to justify sweeping changes. “They are using one individual as political cover for a policy they have long planned,” he said.
Visa Suspension Adds New Uncertainty for Afghans
Rubio’s announcement that all Afghan-passport visa processing had been halted abruptly shut down a key channel used by families still trying to reunite after the Afghanistan withdrawal. Humanitarian groups warn the decision could leave thousands stranded in third countries or conflict zones.
Officials say Lakanwal had been living with his family in Washington state before driving across the country to carry out Wednesday’s attack. AfghanEvac also noted that while Lakanwal applied for asylum under Biden, he was granted approval during Trump’s current term—undercutting claims that lax policies were to blame.
What Comes Next
Legal experts expect the asylum freeze and visa suspension to face significant court challenges. National security analysts warn that large-scale policy changes issued in the aftermath of a single incident risk creating long-term humanitarian and geopolitical consequences.
The Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan—and the subsequent resettlement program—remains one of the most politically charged issues in U.S. foreign policy. The latest measures are likely to inflame debate in Congress, where several lawmakers have already called for emergency oversight hearings.