Asylum Processing May Stay Frozen ‘For a Long Time, Says Trump

President Donald Trump said Sunday that his administration may keep asylum decisions on hold “for a long time” following a November 26 shooting near the White House in which an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard members, killing one of them.

When asked how long the suspension could remain in place, Trump said there was “no time limit.” He added that the measure is linked to a list of 19 countries already subject to U.S. travel restrictions, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

“We don’t want these people,” Trump said. “You know why we don’t want them? Because many of them were not good, and they should not be in our country.”

The Trump administration issued the directive after the November 26 shooting in Washington that left 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom dead and another National Guard member critically wounded.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the attack. Lakanwal previously served in a CIA-backed unit fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan and entered the United States through a resettlement program following the 2021 U.S. troop withdrawal.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Trump said he plans to “permanently halt immigration from Third World countries” in order to “fully restore America’s system.”