The Trump administration announced Friday that it is temporarily suspending all asylum decisions in the wake of this week’s shooting that left two National Guard members dead and injured in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said the pause will remain in effect “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”
The move follows President Donald Trump’s declaration on Thursday that he would “permanently pause migration” from certain countries, though he did not specify which ones. He said only that the policy would apply to what he described as “Third World Countries.”
Separately, the State Department confirmed it has immediately halted the issuance of visas to anyone traveling on an Afghan passport.
In a statement posted on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote: “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.”
These actions come on top of a June proclamation in which Trump barred travel from 12 nations—primarily in Africa and the Middle East—and imposed additional restrictions on several others.
In his Thursday post, Trump also outlined a broader series of planned immigration actions, though his administration has not provided details on how they would be implemented.
He said his administration intends to “terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions,” revoke federal benefits for noncitizens, denaturalize individuals who “undermine domestic tranquility,” and deport any foreign national deemed a public charge, security threat, or “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”
The policy shifts unfold as officials investigate the shooting that killed one National Guard member and critically injured another. Authorities have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who arrived in the United States in 2021 during the Biden administration and was granted asylum in April 2025 under Trump, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
