US freezes all asylum decisions as suspect in National Guard shooting charged

Police keep a presence following the shooting of two U.S. National Guard members near the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Nov. 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

U.S. officials on Friday announced a freeze on all asylum decisions as the man of Afghan nationality accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House was charged with first-degree murder following one soldier's death.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow said Friday on X that his agency "has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible."

At the same time, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department had paused visa issuance for all individuals traveling on Afghan passports, saying the measure was implemented immediately as part of efforts to safeguard national security.

This photo taken on Oct. 21, 2025 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States.  [Photo/Xinhua]

The case prompted the moves after U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the charges against the suspect -- a 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal -- had been upgraded to first-degree murder following the death of one National Guard soldier and the critical injury of another shot on Wednesday near the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the soldier's death on Thursday, calling the shooting "an act of terror." He also vowed to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover."

The USCIS said on Thursday that it would reexamine green card holders from 19 "countries of concern," including Afghanistan.

Pirro said Lakanwal would be charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Lakanwal was shot by another Guard member and taken into custody. Investigators said he had driven from his home in Washington state to the capital before the shooting, though a motive has not yet been established.

Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 under then-President Joe Biden's Operation Allies Welcome program. He had worked previously with the CIA in Afghanistan and was described by officials as having been "clean on all checks" before working with the CIA and before moving to the United States.