Written By Lexx Thornton
Immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch today condemned the Trump administration’s decision to halt all asylum decisions nationwide following last week’s deadly shooting of two National Guard members near the White House.
“Nothing about this crime is made safer or more just by freezing thousands of unrelated asylum cases,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said. “We honor the fallen soldier by seeking truth and accountability, not by punishing families who followed every rule and are simply waiting for their day in court.”
US Citizenship and Immigration Services has paused asylum adjudications. At the same time, it reviews vetting procedures in the wake of the attack, in which an Afghan immigrant who previously assisted US forces is accused of opening fire on Guard members. The administration has also announced new restrictions aimed at immigrants from dozens of countries.
Lincoln-Goldfinch said the blanket freeze will worsen already severe backlogs, keep families separated longer, and trap survivors of violence in legal limbo.
“These cases involve people fleeing torture, domestic violence, trafficking, and political persecution,” she said. “When the government shuts the door on asylum, it is turning its back on the very values we claim to defend abroad.”
She urged Congress to exercise oversight and to reinforce due-process protections in asylum law.
“Security reviews must be targeted, evidence-based, and time-limited,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said. “Using one horrific tragedy as an excuse to grind the entire asylum system to a halt is not leadership; it is collective punishment. Our country is better than that, and the law demands better than that.”
