President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration plans to keep its freeze on asylum decisions in place “for a long time,” linking the pause to a deadly shooting near the White House that has intensified political scrutiny around migration and vetting policies.
Speaking to reporters, Trump declined to set a timeline for when the processing halt might be lifted. “No time limit,” he said, adding that the measure was aimed at blocking entry from countries he described as breeding grounds for “people who have been no good.” He offered no evidence for the claim.
The freeze followed the November 26 shooting in Washington, where two National Guard members were struck by gunfire while on duty. One of them, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries. Her colleague remains in critical condition.
Authorities have charged 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, with first-degree murder. According to officials, Lakanwal had served in a CIA-trained paramilitary force that fought the Taliban before the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. He later entered the United States through a resettlement program designed for Afghan partners who assisted American forces.
Though Lakanwal was granted asylum this past April—under the Trump administration—senior officials have tried to shift responsibility to the Biden administration, accusing it of “weak vetting” during the chaotic evacuation of Afghan allies four years ago. They have not publicly outlined what specific vetting failures may have occurred.
In the days after the shooting, Trump wrote that he intended to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries” to give the U.S. immigration system “time to recover,” language that drew sharp criticism from human rights organizations and immigrant advocacy groups. They argue the pause effectively punishes asylum seekers with no connection to the attack.
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When asked to clarify which nationalities would be included, the Department of Homeland Security pointed to an existing list of 19 countries already under U.S. travel restrictions since June. The list includes Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Myanmar and several African nations. Officials did not indicate whether the freeze would expand beyond that group.
The administration has not outlined a legal pathway for resolving pending asylum claims during the pause, nor explained how long it expects the system to remain at a standstill, leaving thousands of applicants in limbo.