Shooting of National Guard members sparks wave of US immigration restrictions

WASHINGTON (AP) — Since last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in the nation’s capital by a suspect who was an Afghan national, the Trump administration has announced a series of policies aimed at making it more difficult for some foreigners to enter or stay in the country.

Read more: Trump invites the families of two National Guard members who were shot to the White House

The administration said it would temporarily halt asylum decisions, reconsider green card applications for people from “concerning” countries, and suspend visas for Afghans who helped the U.S. war effort.

Days before the shooting, a memo obtained by The Associated Press said the administration would review the cases of all refugees who entered the United States during the Biden administration.

Intensive efforts to restrict migration have been harshly criticized by refugee advocates and those working with Afghans, saying they amount to collective punishment. Critics also say reopening cases that have already been processed is a waste of government resources.

He watches: Investigation into National Guard shooting reveals suspect works for CIA in Afghanistan

The Trump administration says the new policies are necessary to ensure those entering the country — or those already here — do not pose a security threat.

Here’s a look at the major changes announced in about a week.

All asylum decisions have been suspended

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said on the social media platform

Besides the post, no official guidance has been provided, so details remain scarce about the planned pause.

Read more: Refugee groups worry about backlash after National Guard shooting

Asylum seekers must show US officials the threat of persecution if returned to their home country, whether because of race, nationality or other reasons. If they are granted asylum, they are allowed to remain in the United States and eventually apply for a green card and then citizenship.

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

The right to seek asylum has already been restricted by the Trump administration. In January, Trump issued an executive order that essentially halted asylum for people who came into the country through the southern border. These cases generally go through immigration courts overseen by the Department of Justice.

USCIS oversees the asylum process for aliens who the government does not try to remove through immigration courts. While Trump’s January order did not affect those cases, Edlow’s social media post indicates they will now be subject to additional scrutiny. Edlow did not say how long the agency’s pause on asylum decisions will last or what happens to people while those decisions are paused.

Read more: Trump administration halts all asylum decisions after shooting of National Guard members

Case numbers have been increasing for all types of asylum applications. The number of USCIS asylum cases rose from 241,280 in 2022 to a record 456,750 in 2023, according to the Bureau of Homeland Security Statistics.

Focus on ‘countries of concern’

On November 27, Edlow said his agency was conducting a “thorough and rigorous re-examination” of every green card for people who he said come from “every country of concern.”

“American safety is non-negotiable,” Edlow said.

The agency said in a news release the same day that it had issued new guidance that could make it tougher for people from 19 countries the administration considers “high risk,” including Afghanistan, when they apply for immigration benefits such as applying for a green card or staying in the United States longer.

The administration has already banned travel to the United States for citizens of 12 of those countries and restricted the arrival of people from seven other countries.

No visas for Afghans

Other tougher measures are also being taken against Afghans.

On November 26, USCIS said it would suspend all “immigration applications related to Afghan nationals.” This would affect Afghans already living in the United States who are applying for green cards, work permits, or permission to bring family members to the United States.

He watches: Questions are emerging about the National Guard shooter’s motives and the impact on migrants

Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced late Friday that the State Department had temporarily stopped issuing visas to all people traveling on Afghan passports.

The Trump administration has already imposed severe restrictions on travel and immigration from Afghanistan. The only path that remained open was the Special Immigrant Visa Program. This law, created by Congress, allowed Afghans who closely supported the American war effort in Afghanistan and faced punishment for their work to immigrate to America.

But the State Department’s announcement means that even this road is now closed.

According to #AfghanEvac, a group that advocates for Afghans coming to the United States, about 180,000 Afghans were applying for the special immigration program.

A review of refugees accepted under the Biden administration

Even before the shooting of two National Guard members, the Trump administration was planning a comprehensive review of tens of thousands of migrants who entered the United States during the Biden administration as part of the US refugee assistance program.

This program, first launched in 1980, oversees the process by which people fleeing persecution can come to the United States. Refugees are different from people seeking asylum, although they meet the same criteria. Refugees must file their applications and wait outside the United States until they are accepted, while asylum seekers do so once they arrive in the United States

Trump suspended the refugee program the day he took office, and only a handful of refugees have been accepted since then, either white South Africans or people accepted as part of a lawsuit seeking to restart the refugee program.

Then on November 21, Edlow said in a memo obtained by The Associated Press that the administration would review all refugees admitted to the United States during the Biden administration. That is, approximately 200 thousand refugees.

Advocates say refugees are already subject to strict screening.