U.S. Suspends Asylum Decisions Following National Guard Shooting in Washington DC

AFP

Exterior view of the White House in Washington, DC, 27 November 2025.

The Trump administration has announced a halt to all asylum decisions in the aftermath of the National Guard shooting in Washington DC, according to a senior immigration official.

Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said on X on Friday that asylum decisions would be paused “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”

The announcement follows the upgrading of charges against Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, to first-degree murder after one of the two National Guard members shot near the White House died. Lakanwal, who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan war, now faces one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia confirmed.

Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was confirmed dead following the attack, while Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition in hospital. Both were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard as part of a federalised DC security mission.

President Donald Trump described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and criticised the Biden administration for permitting Afghan nationals who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan conflict to enter the country. He reiterated his call to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and expel millions of immigrants from the U.S.

In a Fox News interview, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro indicated that additional charges were likely and expressed condolences to Beckstrom’s family, noting she “volunteered to serve and ended up being shot ambush-style on the cold streets of Washington DC.”

Investigators are continuing to examine Lakanwal’s motives, executing warrants in Washington State, where he lived with his wife and five children in Bellingham, roughly 130 km north of Seattle, and in other parts of the country.

Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration programme to resettle Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal. Although he applied for asylum under the Biden administration, his application was approved during the Trump administration.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff to honour Beckstrom. Wolfe remains in “very critical condition,” he added.

The Operation Allies Welcome programme, which has resettled approximately 76,000 Afghan nationals, has been scrutinised by critics over alleged gaps in the vetting process, though advocates emphasise the extensive screening involved and the protection it offered to individuals at risk of Taliban reprisals.

Source: The Guardian



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