US freezes all asylum decisions in wake of National Guard shooting
President Trump has announced a halt to allowing people from "Third World" countries into the US. His administration is also reviewing green cards issued to people from certain countries. The move leaves many green-card holders in a state of uncertainty.
Washington (dpa/AFP) - The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday it would halt all asylum decisions, two days after the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, one of whom died.
"USCIS has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible," USCIS Director Joseph Edlow wrote on X.
A day earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a complete halt to US admissions for all people from "Third World Countries," without specifying which nations or outlining how the measure would be implemented.
19 countries of concern
Earlier that day, his administration said it would review green cards issued to all foreigners from countries "of concern." Those affected by the measure include Afghans as well as people from 18 other countries, such as Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Cuba and Venezuela.
A green card allows foreign nationals to live and work permanently in the United States.
On Wednesday, two National Guard members were shot just a few blocks from the White House. Trump said the female soldier died from her injuries, while the second soldier remains in critical condition. The suspected shooter, an Afghan who entered the US in 2021, was taken into custody. The motive for the attack remains unknown.
Following the incident, Trump blamed refugees for the country's social problems. Human rights groups warned against politically exploiting the attack.
Trump: Asylum decisions to be paused for a long time
Trump said on Sunday that his administration intended to maintain a pause on asylum decisions for "a long time" after the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House.
When asked to specify how long it would last, Trump said he had "no time limit" in mind for the measure, which the Department of Homeland Security says is linked to a list of 19 countries already facing US travel restrictions.
"We don't want those people," Trump continued. "You know why we don't want them? Because many have been no good, and they shouldn't be in our country."
The Trump administration issued the pause in the aftermath of the shooting in Washington on November 26, that left 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom dead and another guardsman critically wounded.
A 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been arrested and charged with first degree murder in connection with the incident.
Lakanwal had been part of a CIA-backed "partner force" fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, and entered the United States as part of a resettlement program following the American military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Lakanwal had been granted asylum in April 2025, under the Trump administration, but officials have blamed what they called lax vetting by the government of Trump's predecessor Joe Biden for his admission to US soil during the Afghan airlift.
List of "Third World" countries
Trump wrote after the shooting he planned to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover."
Asked which nationalities would be affected, the Department of Homeland Security pointed AFP to a list of 19 countries - including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran and Myanmar - which since June have all faced travel restrictions to the United States.
In a series of late-night posts on Thursday, Trump pledged to "terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions," in reference to his predecessor.
Trump promised to sharply reduce "illegal and disruptive populations" in the US, end federal benefits for non-US citizens and deport any foreigners who are "non-compatible with Western Civilization."
He said Biden's policy decisions were void because they had been signed by his "autopen."
Many see the term "Third World" as outdated, having served during the Cold War as a catch-all for poorer and less developed countries that did not belong to the two major Western and Soviet-backed military blocs.