USCIS halts ‘all asylum decisions’ after DC shooting of National Guard members
In a significant policy shift, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a halt to all asylum decisions following a tragic shooting incident in Washington, D.C., where an Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly shot two National Guard members, resulting in the death of one and critical injuries to another. USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow emphasized the need for heightened vetting and screening of asylum seekers, stating, “The safety of the American people always comes first.” This pause in asylum decisions reflects a broader immigration crackdown initiated by President Donald Trump, who has expressed intentions to limit migration from “Third World countries” and reverse policies established during the Biden administration.
The implications of this decision are profound, as it not only halts asylum claims but also affects immigration requests from Afghanistan. The Department of Homeland Security has suspended all immigration applications from the country, while the Department of State has immediately ceased visa issuance for individuals holding Afghan passports. This swift action comes in the wake of the shooting, where 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom tragically lost her life, and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition. Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in 2021 under humanitarian parole as part of Operation Allies Welcome, had previously undergone multiple layers of vetting by the CIA and was considered clear during his background checks. Despite this, the federal response has been to reassess green cards and implement new national security measures for immigrants from high-risk nations.
The case against Lakanwal is particularly complex; he was charged with first-degree murder and assault, and Attorney General Pam Bondi has indicated that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty. This incident raises critical questions about the vetting process for refugees and asylum seekers, especially given a recent report from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General that found no systemic failures in the vetting of Afghan refugees. As the U.S. grapples with national security concerns and the implications for its immigration policies, this tragic event has sparked a renewed debate on the balance between safety and humanitarian obligations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOE8SBIvjV8
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday that it has halted all asylum decisions following the shooting in Washington, D.C., in which an Afghan national was accused of shooting two National Guard members, including one who died from her injuries.
USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow said the asylum decisions would be suspended “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”
“The safety of the American people always comes first,” he wrote on X.
The pause comes amid a broader immigration crackdown signaled by President
Donald Trump
, who on Thursday vowed to halt migration from “Third World countries” and reverse Biden-era admissions.
STATE DEPARTMENT ‘IMMEDIATELY’ HALTS ALL AFGHAN PASSPORT VISAS FOLLOWING DEADLY NATIONAL GUARD ATTACK
Edlow said on Thursday that officials would reexamine green cards issued to immigrants from every “country of concern,” including Afghanistan. USCIS also implemented new national security measures to be considered while vetting immigrants from “high risk” countries.
“I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” he wrote.
The Department of Homeland Security also said it had already halted all
immigration requests
from Afghanistan and was in the process of reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration.
Additionally, the Department of State has paused all visas for people traveling on Afghan passports in response to the attack against the National Guard members.
“The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” the agency wrote. “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.”
National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of West Virginia,
died after the shooting
on Wednesday in the nation’s capital, while the second service member wounded in the attack, Andrew Wolfe, 24, is still in critical condition.
The alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, faces multiple charges, including one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the Justice Department would pursue the death penalty against the suspect.
WHO IS THE DC NATIONAL GUARDSMEN SHOOTING SUSPECT? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AFGHAN NATIONAL RAHMANULLAH LAKANWAL
Lakanwal entered the U.S. legally in 2021 under humanitarian parole as part of the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He was
vetted by the CIA
in Afghanistan for his work with the agency and again for his asylum application in the U.S. A senior U.S. official told Fox News he was “clean on all checks” in his background check.
Lakanwal had his asylum application approved by the Trump administration earlier this year.
A report released by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General in June found there were “no systemic failures” in Afghan refugee vetting or subsequent immigration pathways.
