The administration of US President Donald Trump has suspended all decisions regarding political asylum following the fatal shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. This significant policy shift was revealed on Friday (18 December) by government officials and media outlets. The suspension follows a tragic incident near the White House that has raised acute national security concerns and sparked a debate over the vetting processes of foreign nationals.
Joseph Edlow, Director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated that all asylum applications would remain on hold until every foreign national can be vetted to the highest possible standard. This move comes after 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were ambushed on Wednesday while serving on an anti-crime mission. Tragically, Specialist Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thursday night, while Staff Sergeant Wolf remains in a critical condition.
The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. Lakanwal had previously worked for the CIA during the war in Afghanistan and entered the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration’s ‘Operation Allies Welcome’. President Trump has officially labelled the incident a “terrorist attack” and heavily criticised the previous administration’s screening procedures for Afghan refugees.
Furthermore, President Trump announced that approximately 76,000 Afghan refugees who were admitted to the country during the Biden era will now face rigorous re-vetting. Governor Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia has ordered state flags to be flown at half-mast in honour of Beckstrom’s sacrifice. This suspension of asylum services marks one of the most drastic steps in recent US immigration policy, potentially affecting thousands of individuals seeking refuge. Legal experts suggest that this could lead to a permanent overhaul of the American asylum system, prioritising domestic security over humanitarian admissions.
GLIVE/TSN