WASHINGTON: Since last week’s 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 pausing asylum decisions, reexamining green card applications for people from countries “of concern” and halting visas for Afghans who assisted the US war effort.
Days before the shooting, a memo obtained by The Associated Press said the administration would review the cases of all refugees who entered the US during the Biden administration.
The stepped up effort to restrict immigration has been harshly criticized by refugee advocates and those who work with Afghans, saying it amounts to collective punishment. Critics are also saying it is a waste of government resources to reopen cases that have already been processed.
The Trump administration says the new policies are necessary to ensure that those entering the country — or are already here — do not pose a security threat.
