The United States has stopped all asylum decisions after a deadly shooting of two National Guard members in Washington DC. A senior immigration official said the move will stay in place while the government checks its screening system. The pause comes during a tense time as officials search for the motive behind the attack. The event has also renewed political debate on migration, vetting, and security. Joseph Edlow, the director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, shared the news on X on Friday. He said asylum decisions will stay on hold “until we can ensure that every person is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible”. His post came soon after officials raised the charges against the man accused of the shooting. The shooting took place on Wednesday afternoon near the White House. Two young National Guard members, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, were hit during what investigators said may have been a planned attack. Both were taken to the hospital in critical condition. On Thursday night, President Donald Trump said that Beckstrom had died from her injuries. The US attorney for the District of Columbia said on Friday that the charges against the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had been upgraded. Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, now faces one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Officials said he had worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan war. Investigators are now working to understand what pushed him to act. Beckstrom and Wolfe served with the West Virginia National Guard. They were in Washington as part of a crime-fighting mission that placed federal control over the DC police force. The president has also deployed National Guard members to other cities to support his mass deportation plan, though some of those actions have faced court challenges. Trump said the attack was a “terrorist act”. He blamed the Biden administration for letting Afghans who once worked with US forces enter the country. He said he wants to “permanently pause migration” from poor nations and remove millions of immigrants now in the US. US attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a Fox News interview that more charges could follow. She said her heart was with the family of Beckstrom, who she said “volunteered to serve and ended up being shot ambush-style on the cold streets of Washington DC”. She added that investigators are working day and night to learn the motive. Officers are carrying out searches in the state of Washington, where Lakanwal lived, and in other parts of the country. The search aims to find any clues or links that could explain the attack. Wolfe remains in “very critical condition”, according to West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey. He ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor Beckstrom’s service. People who knew Lakanwal said he lived in Bellingham, Washington, about 80 miles north of Seattle. His former landlord said he lived there with his wife and five children. Officials said he entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program launched after the US withdrew from Afghanistan. The program helped Afghan interpreters, translators, and others at risk of Taliban reprisals. Advocates say the program used strong vetting to keep the process safe. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration. His asylum claim, however, was approved after Trump took office. In a Thanksgiving message to troops, Trump said Lakanwal “went cuckoo” and “went nuts”. He then called for a full review of every Afghan who entered the country through the Biden program. The initiative brought around 76,000 Afghans to the US. Some critics claim the program had gaps in its vetting steps, while supporters say it saved lives. They stress that people who helped US forces were at high risk. The pause in asylum decisions is expected to affect many cases nationwide. Officials said the pause will continue until a full review is complete. The shooting has grown into a major national debate. It now touches on migration, national security, and the role of the National Guard. As investigators work to find the motive, the country waits for updates on Wolfe’s condition and on how long the asylum pause will last.