Trump administration pausing all asylum decisions after National Guard shooting : NPR

After an Afghan national was named as the perpetrator of the Washington, D.C. shooting, it left one National Guard member died and another in critical condition, the Trump administration says it is suspending all asylum decisions.

Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said Friday evening that the agency is suspending decisions “until we can ensure that every alien is screened and screened to the fullest extent possible.”

“The safety of the American people always comes first,” Edlow wrote on X.

The decision follows President Trump's pledge to crack down on immigration from what he called the “Third World.”

Posting on social media Thursday night, Trump railed against immigrants from poor countries, accusing them of being a burden on the nation's Social Security system and “preying on” natural-born citizens.

“I will permanently suspend migration from all third world countries to allow the American system to fully recover,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can completely cure this situation.”

Trump administration Some immigrants are already being deported either to their countries of origin or to third countries, many of whom are paid to receive them. Venezuelans were deported from the US to El Salvador, a number of migrants were sent to Eswatini and South Sudan, and Rwanda agreed to accept the deportees.

Edlow wrote on social networks On Thursday, he was tasked with conducting a “full and thorough re-examination of every green card for every foreigner from every country of concern.”

He did not specify which countries would be affected, and USCIS did not respond to NPR's request for comment. But June White House Statement imposed a travel ban on 12 countries of concern.

These included many African countries plagued by conflict and terrorism, such as Chad, Sudan and Somalia, as well as others such as Afghanistan. Partial restrictions were imposed on another 7 countries.

IN statement to CNNThe Department of Homeland Security said it has already suspended all immigration requests originating from Afghanistan and is in the process of reviewing “all” asylum cases approved under former President Biden.

The department did not respond to NPR's request for comment.

History of anti-immigrant sentiment

The president's latest anti-immigration comments were prompted by a report that the alleged shooter was identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA to fight the Taliban in his home country and was admitted to the United States in 2021 as a result of his service. During a Thanksgiving call with military personnel, Trump called the shooting a terrorist attack and the shooter a “savage monster.”

He blamed the Biden administration for Lakanwala's entry into the United States and the overall failure of the immigration system.

“For the most part, we don't need them,” he said, referring to immigration seekers like gang members, the mentally ill and the formerly incarcerated.

Trump ran both successful White House campaigns on promises to crack down on illegal immigration, targeting migrants from countries such as Mexico and Somalia at various points.

Speaking to reporters Thursday after the Thanksgiving bell, Trump expanded his attack, focusing not only on the alleged shooter but also on criticism of U.S. immigration and immigrants in general.

When asked by a reporter about the fact that Lakanwal had been vetted as a former CIA officer, Trump repeatedly berated the reporter as “stupid.”

Asked by another reporter if he blamed all Afghans for the alleged actions of one of them, Trump replied: “No, but the Afghans have a lot of problems.”

Trump then turned his attention to Somali immigrants, whom he has repeatedly accused of gang ties and “power grabs.” Minnesota is home to the largest Somali community in the country.

When asked what the Somalis had to do with the shooting in Washington, Trump replied: “Nothing.” However, he added, “the Somalis caused a lot of trouble.” .

Later on social media, he described “Somali gangs” in Minnesota as “roaming the streets looking for 'prey' while our wonderful people remain locked in their apartments and houses, hoping against hope that they will be left alone.”

UN officials on Friday criticized Trump's call for a sweeping halt to refugee admissions.

“They have a right to protection under international law and this must be ensured by due process of law,” Jeremy Lawrence, a spokesman for the UN human rights office, told reporters in Geneva.