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UN agencies on Friday asked the United States to keep its doors open to people seeking asylum, after US President Donald Trump said he would freeze immigration from “Third World” countries. His comments followed an attack near the White House on Wednesday where a National Guard was killed and another injured.
Investigators say the suspect was an Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021.
‘Entitled to protection’
Asked about Trump’s remarks, Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, told reporters in Geneva: “They are entitled to protection under international law, and that should be given due process.”
UNHCR stresses access to asylum
Eujin Byun, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), repeated the same message. “When people who need protection arrive, they must have a fair asylum process. They must be able to access the territory,” she said. She added that most refugees live peacefully in their host countries.
Also read: What we do and don’t know about the shooting of 2 National Guard members in DC
Byun said the agency was appealing to all states that receive refugees and asylum seekers to uphold their responsibilities.
More National Guard troops
Soon after the shooting, Trump said he would send 500 more National Guard troops to Washington, DC. It is not clear where the additional troops would come from. As of early November, the DC National Guard had the largest number on the ground, with 949 members.
In addition to West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama also had forces in the capital early this month.
A federal judge last week ordered an end to the Guard deployment but also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the Trump administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.
