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The United States government immediately suspended all decisions related to asylum applications, following the attack that occurred this week near the White House, where an Afghan citizen shot at two members of the National Guard, resulting in the death of a 20-year-old soldier and leaving another serviceman seriously injured.
According to confirmed by the administration itself, the measure will remain in place until it is assured that all foreigners are investigated and selected "to the greatest extent possible."
In a statement attributed to the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Executive explained that no asylum decision will be processed or approved until the review of the security protocols applied to protection applicants is complete.
“The USCIS has suspended all asylum decisions until we can ensure that all foreigners are investigated and vetted to the greatest extent possible. The safety of the American people is always the top priority,” the entity stated.
The pause occurs amid a strong escalation of the immigration rhetoric by President Donald Trump, who, in an extensive post on Truth Social during the Thanksgiving holiday, announced that his administration will permanently suspend migration from all Third World countries, describing the current situation as a “destructive invasion.”
The president stated that the United States needs an extended period to "recover" and that he will implement a policy of "reverse migration" aimed at drastically reducing the number of migrants in the country.
Trump stated that he will eliminate federal benefits for non-citizens, deport those he considers a "public charge," and strip migrants of their citizenship if he believes they pose a risk to national stability.
"I will eliminate all federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens… and I will deport any foreigner who is a public charge, a risk to security, or incompatible with Western civilization," he wrote.
The attack in Washington D.C., attributed to Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan who entered the country with a special visa during the evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, was used by the president to justify the new immigration policy.
"Hundreds of thousands of people arrived in our country without any kind of control or verification. We will resolve this," he stated, accompanied by an image of Afghans evacuated via a military airlift.
Although the suspension of asylum decisions does not equate to a complete shutdown of the system, it does represent a temporary freeze that impacts thousands of applicants awaiting responses to their cases, many of whom are in extremely vulnerable situations.
The administration has not specified how long the pause will last or if it will result in new permanent restrictions.
The measure, combined with the president's statements, suggests an unprecedented tightening of U.S. immigration policy, right at a time when the asylum system is experiencing high levels of congestion and there is a national debate on security and border control.
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