Trump says there could be no asylum for some nations for a long time

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday (November 30) told reporters that the U.S. would continue to tighten immigration laws and that there could be no asylum for some nations for a long time.

AI Brief

Trump signals an indefinite pause on US asylum admissions following a fatal attack near the White House.
Afghan suspect Lakanwal, granted asylum under Trump, allegedly killed a National Guard member and wounded another.
Administration freezes asylum processing amid criticism of vetting failures and rising immigration security concerns.

Trump told reporters on Sunday his administration could pause asylum admissions into the United States for an extended period. "No time limit, but it could be a long time," Trump told reporters on Air Force One. "We have enough problems. We don't want those people."

U.S. authorities believe the Afghan immigrant accused of ambushing National Guard members in Washington, D.C., was not radicalized until after he came to the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday.

Authorities identified Lakanwal, 29, as the suspect in a Wednesday shooting that took place just blocks away from the White House and which killed one National Guard member and critically wounded another. After the shooting, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration pointed to a lack of vetting of Afghans and other foreign nationals during the term of former President Joe Biden, although Lakanwal was granted asylum under Trump.

Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 as part of the Biden administration's mass evacuation of Afghans who aided U.S. forces during the two-decade war in Afghanistan as the Taliban took power. He was granted asylum in April by Trump's administration, a government file reviewed by Reuters showed.

After Wednesday’s attack, the Trump administration took steps to clamp down on some legal immigration, including a freeze on processing of all asylum applications.