Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that his administration plans to maintain a freeze on asylum decisions for “a long time,” following a shooting near the White House in which an Afghan national allegedly killed a National Guard member and critically wounded another.
Asked how long the pause would last, Trump said he had “no time limit” in mind. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has linked the measure to 19 countries that already face US travel restrictions.
“We don’t want those people,” Trump said. “You know why? Because many have been no good, and they shouldn’t be in our country.”
The freeze comes in the wake of the November 26 attack in Washington, which claimed the life of 20-year-old National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom. The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
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Lakanwal had served in a CIA-backed “partner force” in Afghanistan and entered the United States under a resettlement program following the American military withdrawal in 2021. He was granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration, but officials have criticized the vetting procedures under President Joe Biden for allowing him to enter the US during the Afghan airlift.
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Trump wrote after the shooting that he intended to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries to allow the US system to fully recover.” DHS confirmed that the freeze applies to nationals of 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, and Myanmar, all of which have faced US travel restrictions since June.
Authorities believe Lakanwal became radicalised after arriving in the United States. Following the attack, the Trump administration also froze the processing of all asylum applications.
