US government freezes all decisions related to asylum in the United States

The U.S. government announced on Friday a freeze on all decisions related to asylum in the United States, along with additional measures aimed at tightening immigration policy. 

The move comes as a direct response to the attack in Washington two days earlier, which killed a National Guard soldier and seriously wounded another.

The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal — a 29-year-old Afghan citizen who arrived in the United States in 2021 — will be charged with murder, and federal prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.

Following the attack, President Donald Trump and several U.S. officials announced stricter measures across various aspects of U.S. immigration policy.

U.S. Immigration Director Joseph Edlow said in a post on X that the agency had suspended “all decisions” related to granting asylum in the United States “until various foreign nationals undergo security vetting.”

The freeze comes less than a month after the U.S. government announced its intention to reduce annual asylum approvals to around 7,500 cases, down from roughly 100,000 under Democratic President Joe Biden.

AFP