The Trump administration announced on Friday that it is pausing all asylum decisions following the shooting of two National Guard members in downtown Washington, D.C., earlier this week, reports Baltimore Chronicle. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow stated that all asylum cases are being halted “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.” This decision follows President Donald Trump’s Thursday remarks that he would “permanently pause migration” from certain countries, specifying that the pause would apply to “Third World Countries,” although he did not identify specific nations at the time.
In addition, the State Department has immediately suspended issuing visas to travelers holding Afghan passports. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that “President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people.”
Earlier this year, in June, President Trump issued a proclamation banning travel from 12 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, while also imposing restrictions on additional nations. On Thursday, Trump outlined several actions his administration intends to implement, although details on their execution remain unclear.
Following the attack, which left one National Guard member dead and another critically injured, Trump vowed an extensive immigration crackdown. He described measures to terminate “millions of Biden illegal admissions,” remove individuals deemed a liability, end federal benefits for noncitizens, denaturalize migrants who threaten domestic stability, and deport any foreign national considered a public charge or security risk.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in 2021 during the Biden administration and was granted asylum in April 2025 under Trump. Sources familiar with the investigation indicate that Lakanwal was involved with Afghanistan’s Zero Unit and worked closely with the CIA and Joint Special Operations Command, participating in U.S. counterterrorism operations.
Trump stated that the shooting underscores “the greatest national security threat facing our nation” and reaffirmed his commitment to tightening immigration policies. His previous measures have included deploying National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., as well as Democrat-led cities such as Chicago and Portland, Oregon, in response to perceived security concerns.
Earlier we wrote that Kremlin Confirms Preliminary Agreement for Steve Witkoff Moscow Visit Next Week.
