In a significant policy shift, the United States has frozen all asylum decisions following a deadly attack on National Guard members in Washington D.C. This incident has prompted President Donald Trump to announce a sweeping crackdown on migration, including a planned permanent pause on entries from what he termed "third-world countries."
Policy Shifts and Visa Suspensions
The tragic shooting occurred on Wednesday, just blocks from the White House. Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member, died from her wounds, while a second soldier, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, was left fighting for his life. The alleged attacker, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had entered the US via a resettlement program after the American military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
In response, Joseph Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), confirmed on Friday that his agency has "halted all asylum decisions" to implement maximum vetting procedures. Simultaneously, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the US has temporarily stopped issuing visas to all individuals traveling on Afghan passports, stating that protecting the nation is the highest priority.
Expanded Travel Restrictions and Legal Repercussions
President Trump escalated the situation late Thursday, declaring his intent to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries." When questioned, the Department of Homeland Security referenced a list of 19 countries already facing US travel restrictions since June, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, and Myanmar.
Legally, the case is proceeding with severity. US attorney for Washington DC, Jeanine Pirro, stated that Lakanwal would face murder charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged to seek the death penalty, describing the alleged shooter as a "monster."
Broader Immigration Review and Political Fallout
The administration's actions extend beyond immediate suspensions. The USCIS will reexamine the green cards issued to migrants from the same 19 countries listed by Homeland Security. According to data analyzed by AFP, this affects over 1.6 million green card holders, representing roughly 12 percent of the permanent resident population. Afghanistan alone has more than 116,000 green card holders.
However, these measures have faced criticism. Shawn VanDiver, president of the resettlement group AfghanEvac, accused the administration of using a "single violent individual as cover for a policy they have long planned." He countered Trump's claims of lax vetting, asserting that Afghans underwent "some of the most extensive security vetting" of any migrant group and noted that Lakanwal's asylum application was submitted under President Biden but granted later, under Trump's administration.
This event has fused several politically charged issues: the deployment of military forces on US soil, immigration policy, and the enduring consequences of the two-decade-long war in Afghanistan.
