In a major change, US immigration officials have stopped making decisions on all asylum applications. This happened after a deadly attack on National Guard soldiers in Washington DC this week. The government agency responsible, called USCIS, has told its officers to stop approving or denying any asylum cases. This pause will continue for an unknown amount of time.
The director of USCIS explained the decision. He said the stop will continue until the government can be sure it has the strongest possible safety checks for every foreign national. This is one of the biggest breaks in the US asylum system in a long time. It leaves thousands of people waiting without an answer about their future.
The new rule came soon after President Donald Trump said he wants to stop immigration from what he called "third world countries." While he did not name the countries, another government department has a list of 19 nations that already have travel restrictions. This includes Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, and Myanmar.
The attack that caused these changes happened on Wednesday. Police say an Afghan man attacked two National Guard soldiers near the White House. One soldier died, and the other is in the hospital in serious condition.
Because of this, the US State Department has also stopped giving visas to anyone with an Afghan passport. The government says protecting national security and American citizens is its most important job.
Lawyers and immigrant support groups are worried. They say stopping all asylum decisions might be against US law and international agreements. This could lead to legal challenges in court. For now, people waiting for asylum decisions are left in a difficult and uncertain situation.