US Suspends All Asylum Decisions

Following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington D.C., the administration of President Donald Trump has suspended all asylum-related decisions. The announcement was made on Friday by US media and two officials familiar with the matter.

Joseph Edlow, director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, stated that all asylum applications will remain suspended until every foreign national undergoes maximum-level screening.

The attack on Wednesday near the White House left 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf critically injured. Beckstrom later died on Thursday night. The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, faces first-degree murder and attempted murder charges and had previously worked for the US CIA in Afghanistan.

Beckstrom and Wolf were members of the West Virginia National Guard, serving in Washington as part of Trump’s “crime suppression mission.” Trump described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and criticised the Biden administration’s Afghan entry approvals.

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey confirmed Wolf remains in critical condition and ordered flags to fly at half-mast in memory of Beckstrom.

President Trump also announced that approximately 76,000 Afghan refugees admitted during the Biden administration will undergo re-screening. Lakanwal entered the US in 2021 under the ‘Operation Allies Welcome’ programme.

Khaborwala/TSN