US President Donald Trump has said his administration intends to maintain a pause on asylum decisions for “a long time”, after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard members near the White House, killing one of them.
When asked to specify how long it would last, Trump said he had “no time limit” in mind for the measure, which the Department of Homeland Security says is linked to a list of 19 countries already facing US travel restrictions.
“We don’t want those people,” Trump continued. “You know why we don’t want them? Because many have been no good, and they shouldn’t be in our country.”
Here are the key stories:
Trump invites families of national guard members who were shot to White House
Donald Trump said on Sunday that he invited the family of a national guard member fatally shot last week to the White House, adding that he spoke to her parents and they were “devastated”.
US army specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed in a shooting on Wednesday in Washington DC. Her fellow service member, US air force staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized in a critical condition. Vigils across West Virginia have taken place in their memory.
“I said: ‘When you’re ready, because that’s a tough thing, come to the White House. We’re going to honor Sarah,” Trump told reporters. “And likewise with Andrew, recover or not.”
Noem claims suspect in national guard shooting was ‘radicalized’ in US
Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, claimed on Sunday that the suspect in the national guard shooting in Washington DC was “radicalized” in the US and blamed the Biden administration, though the suspect’s asylum was approved under Donald Trump.
The shooting suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was granted asylum under the Trump administration in April 2025. He worked with CIA backed units in Afghanistan, coming to the US in September 2021 under an Operation Allies Welcome program.
Trump grants clemency to executive convicted in fraud scheme – report
Donald Trump granted clemency to private equity executive David Gentile, who had just begun a seven-year prison sentence for what prosecutors described as a $1.6bn fraud scheme, reported the New York Times.
The founder and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPB Capital, 59-year-old Gentile was convicted and sentenced in May to seven years in prison for his role in defrauding thousands of individual investors.
He reported to prison on 14 November. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, Gentile was released on Wednesday, 26 November.
Gutting of watchdog could pave way for grave immigration abuses, experts warn
The federal watchdog system at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that oversees complaints about civil rights violations, including in immigration detention, has been gutted so thoroughly that it could be laying the groundwork for the Trump administration to “abuse people with impunity”, experts warn.
Former federal oversight officials have sounded the alarm at the rapid dismantling of guardrails against human rights failures – at the same time as the government pushes aggressive immigration enforcement operations.
Hondurans vote amid Trump threat to cut aid if his preferred candidate loses
Hondurans have begun voting in an election held amid threats by Donald Trump to cut aid to the country if his preferred candidate loses.
Honduras could be the next country in Latin America, after Argentina and Bolivia, to swing right after years of leftwing rule. Polls show three candidates neck-and-neck in the race to succeed President Xiomara Castro, whose husband, Manuel Zelaya, also led the country before being toppled in a 2009 coup.
Trump’s favourite is 67-year-old Nasry “Tito” Asfura of the rightwing National party. His main challengers are 60-year-old lawyer Rixi Moncada from the ruling Libre party and 72-year-old TV host Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal party.
What else happened today:
Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he had spoken with Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, but he did not provide details on what the two leaders discussed.
Why is Fifa’s Gianni Infantino cosying up to the US president? The Fifa boss is putting a lot of effort into courting the most divisive politician on Earth.
From Vietnam to the Balkans, Donald Trump’s family has launched a global dealmaking blitz since his re-election.
Catching up? Here’s what happened 29 November.
