Credit: The White House
President Donald Trump has ordered a complete halt to all asylum decisions in the wake of the horrific Thanksgiving Eve shooting near the White House by an Afghan national who was welcomed through Biden’s lax vetting system.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Friday evening that they are pausing processing of 2.2 million pending asylum cases to ensure “maximum vetting and screening.”
The halt is a direct response to the attack that claimed the life of 20-year-old National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and left 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe critically injured.
The shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was granted asylum just seven months ago after entering the U.S. in 2021 under Biden’s chaotic Operation Allies Welcome program.
Lakanwal, who claimed to have aided the CIA against the Taliban, ambushed the unarmed guardsmen in broad daylight while they were patrolling as part of “Operation DC Safe and Beautiful” to combat rising crime in the capital.
Beckstrom died from her injuries on Thanksgiving Day, and charges against Lakanwal have been upgraded to first-degree murder.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow broke the news on X, stating: “USCIS has halted all asylum decisions 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.”
USCIS has halted all asylum decisions 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.
— USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow (@USCISJoe) November 28, 2025
This asylum freeze is part of a broader immigration crackdown unleashed by the Trump administration to reverse the damage from Biden’s open-border policies, which saw record migrant surges.
On Thanksgiving, Trump vowed a “permanent pause” on migration from “third world” countries like Afghanistan, Somalia, and Iran, promising to “reverse migration” and remove those “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”
Trump wrote, “Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” and committed to terminating “millions of Biden illegal admissions” while deporting anyone who isn’t a “net asset” to the U.S. or can’t “love our country.”
Additionally, The State Department is halting visa issuance for Afghan passport holders and engaging in “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of every green card issued to over 720,000 holders from 19 “countries of concern” between fiscal years 2021 and 2025, including Afghanistan (123,017), Cuba (335,186), Venezuela (73,900), Haiti (49,900), and Iran (35,853).
The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports.
The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.
— Department of State (@StateDept) November 28, 2025
White House Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott wrote on X of the new measures, “The Trump administration has no higher priority than ensuring the safety of Americans and has launched a whole-of-government effort to defend America’s national security.”
The Trump administration has no higher priority than ensuring the safety of Americans and has launched a whole-of-government effort to defend America’s national security.
That’s why the State Department took action today to pause visa processing for Afghan nationals to enter… https://t.co/FF4qaX90hs
— Tommy Pigott (@StateDeputySpox) November 28, 2025
Pigott added, “That’s why the State Department took action today to pause visa processing for Afghan nationals to enter the United States in the wake of a horrific terror attack against the National Guard.”
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