What happens to asylum after the attack on the National Guard
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 3 December 2025
⏱️ 26 minutes
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Summary
Two days after the shooting of two National Guard members in the nation’s capital by a suspect who is an Afghan national, the Trump administration announced a flurry of policies aimed at making it harder for some foreigners to enter or stay in the country.
The administration said it was halting all decisions related to asylum claims and paused visa issuances for Afghan nationals, including a special program for U.S. allies who fought alongside U.S. troops there. The move came after the president posted an anti-immigration screed, in which he vowed to “permanently pause” migration from nations he described as “Third World Countries.”
Today on “Post Reports,” immigration reporter Arelis R. Hernández joins host Colby Itkowitz to run back what The Post has learned about the suspected shooter, the complicated world of asylum, and how this tragedy has upended an already fraught process.
Today’s show was produced by Emma Talkoff, with help from Rennie Svirnovskiy. It was edited by Elana Gordon and mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to David Nakamura.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Here in Washington, D.C., prayers and tributes have been pouring in for the two National Guard members who were shot near the White House last week. |
| 0:12.3 | A memorial has been taking shape at the metro where the two guard members were stationed. |
| 0:17.4 | You can find a makeshift display of fresh roses, handwritten notes, and American flags. |
| 0:22.7 | Just feet away from a bullet hole in a planter. |
| 0:27.7 | This tragedy has also spurred a response that's reverberating well beyond the nation's capital. |
| 0:33.5 | In the aftermath, the Trump administration is taking an even stricter approach to immigration. |
| 0:40.3 | That's because the alleged shooter, Rachmanila Lockenwal, came to America after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021, through a special visa program for allies of the U.S. |
| 0:51.2 | He was granted asylum earlier this year. |
| 0:57.2 | After the shooting, President Donald Trump zeroed in on Lock and Wall's immigration status and posted on social media that the administration |
| 1:02.4 | planned to halt immigration from countries like Afghanistan that he said were, quote, |
| 1:08.0 | third world. In the days since, the administration has vowed to go further, |
| 1:13.8 | pledging restrictions that would make it even harder for many immigrants to find refuge in America. |
| 1:19.2 | The last time that we saw something this restricted was probably around 9-11. |
| 1:28.6 | From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post Reports. |
| 1:32.5 | I'm Colby Echowitz. |
| 1:33.7 | It's Tuesday, December 2nd. |
| 1:37.1 | Today, I speak with the Post-National Immigration Reporter, Arlese Hernandez, about how the |
| 1:42.9 | administration's response to the tragic shooting |
| 1:45.2 | of two National Guard troops is upending asylum and immigration policies in the U.S. |
| 2:06.2 | Arlese, hi, thanks so much for joining me. |
| 2:07.8 | Thank you for inviting me. |
| 2:17.1 | Arles, I really want to dig in with you and understand better how the asylum process in the U.S. is changing, is going to change as a result of this shooting. But first, it's almost |
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