Trump stands firm on freezing migration amid appeals to allow asylum

WASHINGTON, DC: Even as multiple United Nations (UN) agencies, including its human rights office, appeal to the US administration to continue allowing asylum seekers into the country, President Donald Trump remains adamant about his stand of “permanently pausing migration from all third-world countries”.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump cited section 212 (f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to justify his actions of barring migration. Section 212 (f) of INA authorises the US president to “suspend entry” of “any applicants or any class of applicants”.

It also allows the President to “impose on the entry of applicants any restrictions he/she may deem appropriate” for such period as he/she deems necessary upon determining that their entry “would be detrimental to the interests of the United States”.

“Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate,” Trump quoted the section 212 (f) of INA.

The official handle of White House also posted the same on X.

The Trump administration on Friday intensified immigration restrictions, rolling out a series of heightened security measures following a State Department directive that temporarily halts visa issuance for all travellers holding Afghan passports.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision in a post on the social media platform X, stating, “President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals travelling on Afghan passports.”

He added, “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people.”

Officials described the decision as part of a broader response to Wednesday’s shooting near the White House that left two National Guard soldiers critically injured.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow confirmed that asylum officers have been directed to stop issuing decisions until enhanced vetting can be completed for every applicant.

“This pause will stay in place until we can ensure that every alien is properly vetted. The safety of the American people always comes first,” he said in a statement posted on X.

After the Wednesday shooting near White House that killed one of the two National Guard members in Washington, DC. One of them (Spec. Sarah Beckstrom) has died, while the other remains wounded.

Lakanwal, the Afghan national, accused of carrying out the shooting, will be charged with first-degree murder, the Washington Post reported earlier. Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for Washington, DC, said that more counts are likely to follow against suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

The Washington Post reported that the upgraded charges of first-degree murder, instead of the initial charges of assault, raise the possibility for the suspected attacker to face the death penalty in the case.

Although capital punishment has been abolished in the District of Columbia, Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday said she will seek the death penalty against the man accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, the Hill reported.

In August, US president Donald Trump had asserted that his government would seek capital punishment in every murder case that occurred in Washington, DC.

Trump on Friday said that he would permanently pause migration from all “third-world countries” to allow the US system to terminate illegal admissions into the United States. (ANI)