Trump says asylum suspension could remain in place ‘for a long time’

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration’s newly announced halt on asylum processing could remain in effect “for a long time,” linking the decision to last week’s fatal shooting near the White House involving an Afghan national.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington, DC, from his Thanksgiving holiday in Florida, Trump said the pause would not be lifted soon.

“I think a long time,” he said. When pressed for a clearer timeframe, he added: “We have enough problems. We don’t want those people.”

Asked whether the suspension could last one or two years, Trump replied: “No time limit, but it could be a long time.”

He said the policy would primarily affect migrants from what he described as “very crime-ridden” and “not friendly” countries, asserting that some nations were “out of control.”

The asylum pause was announced after the November 26 shooting in Washington that left 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom dead and a security guard critically injured. Authorities have identified the suspect as an Afghan national, Lakanwal, who arrived in the United States in 2021 during the evacuation from Afghanistan.

According to US media reports, Lakanwal previously worked with several US government agencies, including the CIA. He was granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration.