President Trump says the US pause on asylum decisions has no time limit, linked to 19 restricted countries after a fatal shooting near the White House
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE: President Donald Trump said his administration intends to maintain a pause on asylum decisions for “a long time”.
He made the statement following a shooting near the White House that killed a National Guard member.
When asked to specify the duration, Trump said he had “no time limit” in mind for the measure.
The Department of Homeland Security links the pause to a list of 19 countries already facing US travel restrictions.
“We don’t want those people,” Trump continued. “You know why we don’t want them? Because many have been no good, and they shouldn’t be in our country.”
The administration issued the pause after the November 26 shooting in Washington.
The incident left 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom dead and another guardsman critically wounded.
A 29-year-old Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has been arrested and charged with first degree murder.
Lakanwal had fought with a CIA-backed force in Afghanistan and entered the US via a 2021 resettlement program.
He had been granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration.
Officials blamed lax vetting by the prior Biden administration for his admission during the Afghan airlift.
Trump wrote after the shooting he planned to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries.”
The Department of Homeland Security pointed to 19 countries affected by the policy.
The list includes Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran and Myanmar. – AFP
