Administration freezes asylum system, targets migrants from "Third World Countries" in dramatic policy shift
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| President Donald Trump speaks to troops via video from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Floria, on November 27, 2025. |
WASHINGTON, DC – In a dramatic escalation of his immigration agenda, President Donald Trump has announced a "permanent pause" on migration from numerous countries and halted all asylum processing following a shooting that left one National Guard member dead and another critically wounded.
The measures, announced via Truth Social and official channels, represent the administration's most aggressive immigration crackdown to date, effectively implementing through executive action what Congress has repeatedly declined to authorize legislatively.
The Trigger Event
The policy earthquake was triggered by Tuesday's shooting of two National Guard members stationed in Washington, DC. The victims have been identified as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, who was killed, and Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, who remains in critical condition.
The alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, entered the United States in 2021 as part of the evacuation of Afghans who worked with American forces. According to administration officials, Lakanwal had been granted asylum earlier this year after vetting by immigration authorities.
"This heinous atrocity reminds us that we have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country," President Trump told troops during a Thanksgiving address from Mar-a-Lago. "For the most part, we don't want them."
The Crackdown: What's Changing
The administration has launched a multi-front assault on legal immigration channels:
- Asylum System Frozen: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has suspended all asylum decisions indefinitely, affecting approximately 2.2 million pending cases.
- "Permanent Pause" Declared: While specifics remain unclear, President Trump has vowed to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries," a term with no precise legal definition.
- Green Card Review: Immigration officials have been ordered to conduct a "full scale, rigorous reexamination" of every green card for individuals from 19 unspecified "countries of concern."
- Afghan Visa Program Halted: The State Department has indefinitely suspended processing of all immigration requests from Afghan nationals.
The Backlash
The moves have sparked immediate condemnation from human rights organizations and immigration advocates.
"This administration is scapegoating an entire population for the actions of one individual," said Jeremy McKinney, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "Mental health crises and violence know no nationality."
A spokesperson for the UN human rights office expressed concern that the measures might violate international protections for asylum seekers.
Meanwhile, conservative groups have praised the crackdown. A spokesman for Turning Point USA called it "the president's most politically popular policy, ever."
What It Means
Legal experts note that the term "permanent pause" has no basis in immigration law, and the sweeping measures will likely face immediate court challenges. However, the asylum freeze and other administrative actions could remain in effect during what would likely be protracted legal battles.
The administration appears to be using the shooting tragedy to implement long-sought immigration restrictions that previously faced legislative and judicial obstacles. With the asylum system now frozen and millions of cases in limbo, the practical effect is a dramatic reduction in legal immigration channels—achieving through executive action what Congress has repeatedly declined to authorize.
The situation continues to develop rapidly, with immigrant advocacy groups preparing legal challenges and the administration signaling it expects the measures to be upheld as necessary for national security.