National Guard shooting triggers tough US immigration crackdown

AP :

Following last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington by a suspect who is an Afghan national, the Trump administration has announced a series of measures aimed at tightening entry and residency rules for certain foreigners.

The administration said it is pausing asylum decisions, reviewing green card applications from people from “countries of concern,” and halting visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. war effort.

A memo obtained by The Associated Press revealed that, even before the shooting, the administration planned to review the cases of all refugees admitted to the U.S. during the Biden administration.

Refugee advocates and Afghan support groups have criticized the moves as collective punishment and a waste of resources, arguing that reopening processed cases is unnecessary. The Trump administration maintains that the policies are needed to ensure individuals entering or already in the country do not pose security threats.

Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said on the social platform X last week that asylum decisions will be paused “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”

Aside from this post, no formal guidance has been issued, leaving details about the pause unclear.

The Afghan suspect in the National Guard shooting was granted asylum earlier this year, according to advocacy group.

#AfghanEvac.
Asylum seekers must demonstrate that they would face persecution if returned to their home countries due to race, nationality, or other grounds. Successful applicants are allowed to stay in the U.S. and can eventually apply for green cards and citizenship.

Trump had already restricted asylum applications. In January, he issued an executive order effectively halting asylum for people entering through the southern border, whose cases are processed through immigration courts overseen by the Justice Department.

Edlow’s post indicates that USCIS asylum cases, not previously affected by Trump’s order, will now receive additional scrutiny. He did not specify how long the pause will last or what will happen to applicants during it.

Caseloads are rising: USCIS currently has 1.4 million pending asylum cases, compared with 241,280 in 2022, according to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. Separately, around 2.4 million asylum applications are pending in the Justice Department’s immigration courts.

On Nov. 27, Edlow announced a “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of every green card for people from “every country of concern.”

“American safety is non negotiable,” Edlow said.

The agency’s press release said new guidance could make it harder for people from 19 “high-risk” countries, including Afghanistan, to apply for immigration benefits, such as green cards or extended stays. The administration had previously banned travel for citizens from 12 of these countries and restricted access for seven others.

No visas for Afghans
USCIS announced on Nov. 26 that it would suspend all “immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals,” affecting those in the U.S. seeking green cards, work permits, or family reunification.

Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that the State Department has temporarily stopped issuing visas for Afghan passport holders.

Previously, the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program allowed Afghans who assisted U.S. efforts and faced retribution to emigrate. The State Department’s new policy effectively closes this pathway. According to #AfghanEvac, about 180,000 Afghans were in the process of applying for SIVs.

Even before the shooting, the Trump administration planned to review tens of thousands of refugees admitted under the Biden administration through the U.S. Refugee Assistance Program, which helps people fleeing persecution. Unlike asylum seekers, refugees apply from abroad.

Edlow’s memo obtained by AP on Nov. 21 stated that all refugees admitted during the Biden administration, nearly 200,000 people, would be reviewed. Advocates note that refugees already undergo rigorous vetting.

Noem hints at updated travel ban
Late Monday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested more changes could come. She said on X that after meeting Trump, she was recommending a “full travel ban” on countries she said were flooding the U.S. “with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”

Noem did not name specific countries or provide a timeline. The Department of Homeland Security said in an email, “We will be announcing the list soon.”