UPDATE: Former President Donald Trump has just announced a sweeping and indefinite suspension of asylum decisions following a tragic shooting that left one National Guard member dead. This announcement comes in the wake of a harrowing incident near the White House on November 26, 2023, where an Afghan national allegedly opened fire, fatally wounding 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and injuring another guardsman.
In a press briefing on Sunday, Trump stated he has “no time limit” for the asylum pause, emphasizing a need to strengthen national security. The Department of Homeland Security is linking this policy shift to a list of 19 countries already under US travel restrictions. “We don’t want those people,” Trump declared, underscoring his administration’s commitment to tightening immigration controls. “We’re going to get them out of here!”
The shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, aged 29, faces first-degree murder charges for the attack. Lakanwal had previously served with a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan before being granted asylum in April 2025 during Trump’s presidency. The former president has blamed his successor, Joe Biden, for “lax vetting,” pointing fingers at the administration’s handling of Afghan refugees during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
In light of this tragedy, Trump has vowed to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries,” aiming to allow the US immigration system to recover fully. This significant policy change could impact asylum seekers from countries like Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, and Myanmar.
Trump also revealed that he has invited the grieving family of specialist Sarah Beckstrom to the White House, expressing condolences to her heartbroken parents. “I said: ‘When you’re ready, come to the White House. We’re going to honor Sarah,” he shared with reporters. Additionally, he extended the same invitation to critically injured staff sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, offering him a chance to recover at the executive mansion.
Vigils have erupted across Beckstrom and Wolfe’s home state of West Virginia, as communities pay tribute to the fallen guardsman and pray for the recovery of her injured comrade. The shooting has sparked renewed debate over the Biden-era Afghan resettlement process and the future of US asylum policies under Trump’s potential return to office.
As developments unfold, the nation watches closely, grappling with the implications of this tragic event and the political ramifications of Trump’s decisive stance on immigration and national security.
