US halts all asylum claims after National Guard shootings: What to know

US Asylum Processing Comes to a Standstill Amid National Guard Shootings

In a shocking move, the Trump administration has ordered an immediate halt to all asylum decisions nationwide following a double shooting near the White House that left one National Guard member dead and another critically injured. The pause on asylum decisions is aimed at ensuring "every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible," according to Joseph Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The shootings, which took place on Wednesday, were a devastating reminder of the risks faced by those seeking asylum in the United States. Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, was shot along with Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who succumbed to her injuries. Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a suspect with ties to Afghanistan, is being held in connection with the shooting.

Lakanwal's asylum application had been granted earlier this year under the Trump administration as part of Operation Allies Welcome, a program for Afghans who aided US military forces after having worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War. The move has sparked concerns about the administration's commitment to upholding international asylum agreements and its handling of refugee resettlement.

The halt on asylum decisions is expected to have significant implications for thousands of pending cases and will likely set up a contentious legal battle between the Trump administration and advocacy groups. As the US faces increased scrutiny at home and abroad over its obligations to protect asylum seekers, this move underscores the administration's priorities regarding national security in light of violent incidents involving migrants.

The developments come as President Donald Trump spoke about the shootings earlier in the day, describing Sarah Beckstrom as "a wonderful person" who had died. The incident has sent shockwaves through the immigration community and raises questions about the safety of those seeking refuge in the United States.
 
Ugh I am literally SHOOK by this news 🀯! The thought of all those asylum seekers just chillin' in limbo, waiting for their fate to be decided, is just heartbreaking 😭. It's not just the people affected by the shooting that are suffering, it's also the thousands of others who have been living in uncertainty for months or even years πŸ•°οΈ. I mean, what even is the point of having a system if it's just gonna come to a grinding halt? It's like they're just trying to make life harder for people already going through some major trauma πŸ’”.

And can we talk about how this is just another example of how our system is so broken 🀯? I mean, Operation Allies Welcome was supposed to be this thing that helped Afghans who had done good stuff with the US military, but now it's being used as an excuse for a complete halt on asylum decisions? It just feels like politics over people πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ.

I'm literally begging them to reconsider and get these cases moving again ASAP ⏱️. I know we need some security measures in place, but this is not the way to do it. Can't they see that's just gonna push more people into harm's way? It's like they're trying to create a whole new problem where none existed before πŸ™„.
 
πŸ€• this is just devastating. I'm so sorry to hear that another National Guard member was killed and a young woman critically injured. It's absolutely heartbreaking that these individuals had to go through this trauma.

I totally get why they're halting asylum decisions, but it feels like it's coming at the wrong time - we already have such long lines of people waiting for help. It's scary to think about what's going on with this guy who was granted asylum under Operation Allies Welcome... I don't know much about his background, but it seems suspicious that he was part of a program and then suddenly gets involved in something like this.

I'm worried about all the other folks who are waiting for help - they're already going through so much stress and uncertainty. This just feels like another layer of complexity to an already complicated system 🀯
 
omg i'm literally shook rn i dont even know how to process this news 🀯 like what's next? are we gonna start deporting ppl who just wanna escape war or persecution?? its so sad that some1 like sarah was killed over this 😒 and now asylum seekers are gonna be stuck in limbo for god knows how long πŸ•°οΈ i feel bad for them, they're already traumatized and stressed out enough. what's the point of even having a national guard if they can't keep their members safe? πŸ€” and another thing, isn't Operation Allies Welcome kinda like a reward for risking their lives to help us in afghanistan?? shouldn't we be giving more support not less?! πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ
 
πŸ€” this is crazy, US asylum processing just stopped? like what's next? is it gonna be a lockdown or something? i dont think it's fair to all these ppl who are already in the system, they have papers and everything... πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ how can they just pause it like that? also, that guy Rahmanullah Lakanwal, didnt he get asylum already? shouldn't he be treated fairly too? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ what's the point of having a vetting process if u r just gonna stop the whole thing? 🀯
 
This is just getting worse πŸ€•. First it's COVID-19, then pandemic restrictions, now asylum seekers are being turned away because of some random shootings 🚫. I mean, what's next? Are we gonna stop all medical aid to countries that don't play by our rules too? It's always about "national security" but what about human rights, you know? πŸ˜’
 
🚫 this is a super concerning move by the Trump administration 🀯. I mean, asylum seekers are already going through so much just to try and escape their home countries, and now they're being told to wait even longer? πŸ•°οΈ that's just not right. And what about all those people who have been living in limbo for months or even years waiting for a decision on their case? πŸ€” it's like the system is just grinding to a halt. I'm not surprised that this move has sparked outrage from advocacy groups, but I wish someone would explain how this pause on asylum decisions is going to actually make our country safer πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ
 
this is so messed up πŸ€• u can't just stop asylum decisions because of some shootings it's like they're trying to scare ppl away from seeking help when they really need it ❀️ but at the same time i get that national security has to be a concern, maybe there's a way to do this without putting all these people in limbo...i'm worried about Rahmanullah's case tho, how did his asylum application even get through? πŸ€”
 
this is so disturbing πŸ€•πŸŒŽ the US gov is making it harder for ppl to seek asylum πŸ˜” it's not fair to ppl trying to escape war or persecution 🀝 they should be protected, not put through more vetting 🚫 and what about all the ppl already in limbo waiting for answers 🀯 this move feels like a big step backwards πŸš«πŸ’” Rahmanullahs case is especially weird btw how did he get asylum? was it just cuz of his ties to Afghanistan? πŸ€”
 
πŸ€• OMG, this is such a disaster! I mean, I get it, national security is important, but come on! πŸ™„ All asylum decisions just grind to a halt? That's gonna leave so many people stuck and unsure about their futures. Like, what even happens next? πŸ’” And can we talk about how this just happened after the shooting? It feels like they're using it as an excuse to shut down a whole system that's supposed to help people in need. πŸ€¦β€β™€οΈ

And what's up with Rahmanullah's asylum application being granted and then him going on to commit such a heinous act? 🚫 I mean, don't get me wrong, the guy should be held accountable for his actions, but did it really have to be at the expense of thousands of people who were just trying to escape their homes in search of safety? 😩

This is just another example of how our country's immigration system is broken and needs so much reform. 🚧 I'm all for national security, but we can't do that on the backs of innocent people who are just trying to make a better life for themselves. 😒
 
Man, this is soooo concerning πŸ€•. I mean, asylum seekers are just trying to escape violence and persecution back home, and now they're facing even more hurdles at our borders? It's like, we're supposed to be a country that values freedom and compassion, but it feels like we're not taking care of people who really need our help 🀝. And what's with this Operation Allies Welcome program? It sounds like just another way to cherry-pick which refugees to let in based on their past connections to the US military or CIA...it's all about politics and national security over human lives πŸ’”. This pause on asylum decisions is going to cause so much suffering for thousands of people who are already struggling to make ends meet 🀯. We need to do better, you know?
 
OMG u guys can't believe what's happening?? 🀯 they just stopped processing asylum apps nationwide like what is going on? 😱 I mean I get it security first but this is crazy a halt on all asylum decisions, thousands of ppl will be stuck in limbo and now we got another shooting to deal with πŸ’” Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe was 24 yrs old his life cut short and another soldier hurt... Rahmanullah Lakanwal's story is crazy he applied for asylum under Operation Allies Welcome but things are not adding up πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ this pause on asylum decisions is gonna cause so much chaos I'm worried about these ppl seeking refuge in the US, they just wanna be safe 🌎
 
πŸ€” This is a total overreaction from the Trump administration 🚫... I mean, think about it, asylum seekers are just trying to escape war zones or persecution πŸŒͺ️... they're not all terrorists like some people claim πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ. And what's with this "vetting and screening" thing? It's already a huge process, can't we trust the system a bit more? πŸ’” It's going to back up our borders even more and put innocent lives at risk 🚫... not to mention the thousands of people who are actually waiting for asylum πŸ•°οΈ. This is just another example of how scared politicians are πŸ€•... and it's just going to cause so much suffering for those who need help πŸ˜”.
 
πŸ€• this is so sad 🌎 i feel bad for sarah & her family πŸ˜” also i don't get why they're halting asylum decisions now it's not like the shooter was trying to sneak in or anything πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ does that mean ppl who already applied are gonna be stuck forever? 🀯 what about those who need help escaping war zones or persecution? 🌟 this is so not right 😑
 
This is super concerning πŸ€•... I mean, asylum seekers are already going through so much stress and uncertainty when they're trying to find a new home, and then you add this pause on decisions? It's like, how are people supposed to plan for their lives over here? πŸ€” What about all those families who have been waiting for months or even years to get approved? The impact on them is gonna be huge πŸŒͺ️. I just hope they can figure out a way to balance safety with compassion πŸ’–. And what's up with the timeline for this halt, like, how long are we supposed to wait before things move again? ⏱️...
 
this is so messed up 🀯 the US government is more worried about vetting asylum seekers than actually helping them, meanwhile people like Rahmanullah are just trying to escape war & violence in their home country... it's not that hard to understand why they'd want to flee πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ and now thousands of people will be stuck in limbo while the admin tries to figure out what to do with them πŸ’”
 
I FEEL SO BAD FOR THE VICTIMS OF THIS SHOOTING πŸ™πŸΌπŸ˜’ IT'S JUST TERRIFYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THOSE ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE GOING THROUGH & NOW THEY'RE BEING PUT ON HOLD 🚫😩. ISN'T THERE A BETTER WAY TO ADDRESS NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES THAN BY PLACING THOUSANDS OF LIVES IN SUSPENSE? IT'S LIKE WE'RE PLAYING A GAME WITH PEOPLE'S FAMILIES πŸ’”πŸ‘ͺ. I HOPE THIS administration THINKS CAREFULLY ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR DECISION & HOW IT'LL AFFECT THE REAL PEOPLE BEHIND THE NUMBERS πŸ€πŸ’¬
 
man this is crazy 🀯 so the us government is putting all asylum seekers on hold because one shooting happened near the white house... that's like, a whole different country 🌎 it doesn't make sense to me why they can't just process these applications normally unless there's some really compelling reason i guess it's scary when you think about people being vetted and screened but what if it takes too long for them? thousands of people are waiting on hold here... does anyone know how this is gonna play out in court πŸ€”
 
πŸ˜• This news is super concerning... I mean, asylum seekers are just trying to escape violence and persecution back home, but now they're stuck in limbo because of something that's basically a tragic accident? πŸ€” The fact that it led to a national halt on asylum decisions feels like an overreaction to me. What about all the people who have been waiting for months or even years for their cases to be decided? It's just not fair πŸ’”.
 
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