US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow has confirmed that following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., the Trump administration has temporarily suspended all decisions on asylum applications from every country.
Joseph Edlow said the suspension will remain in place “until we can ensure that every foreign national is fully and thoroughly vetted.”
The move came just hours after President Donald Trump announced that he would “permanently pause migration” from all so-called “Third World countries.”
One National Guard member was killed and another critically injured in Wednesday’s shooting. Authorities have blamed the attack on an Afghan-origin individual.
Initial measures focused specifically on Afghan nationals, but subsequent decisions have been far broader in scope.
According to CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security has instructed USCIS not to approve, deny, or close any asylum applications from any nationality.
