Immigration Paused: Asylum, Visas Halted Amidst Security Scrutiny

Resources

Books

• "The Washington Post" - This newspaper reported on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's alleged order to kill everyone aboard alleged drug boats, which led to a second strike where survivors were killed.

People Mentioned

• Rica in Tennessee (Listener) - A listener who shared how she uses Up First to stay informed and connected, praising its honest and eloquent reporting.
• Rahmanullah Lockinwall (Afghan National) - The suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members, whose case prompted the tightening of legal immigration pathways.
• Joseph Edlow (Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services) - Announced heightened scrutiny for green card applicants from 19 countries and issued a memo calling for the review of all refugees admitted under the Biden administration.
• Kirstjen Nielsen (Homeland Security Secretary) - Stated that investigators believe Rahmanullah Lockinwall was radicalized since arriving in the US and discussed the backlog in asylum decisions.
• Senator Tim Kaine (Democrat from Virginia) - Voiced concerns on CBS News program Face the Nation that if reports of Defense Secretary Hegseth's order are true, it rises to the level of a war crime.
• John Otis (NPR Reporter) - Reported from Bogotá, Colombia, on the US strikes in the Caribbean, Venezuela's warnings, and President Trump's pardon of a former Honduran president.
• Nicolás Maduro (President of Venezuela) - His regime's actions have led to an economic crisis and prompted millions of Venezuelans to flee, and he has accused the US of trying to seize Venezuela's oil reserves.
• Juan Orlando Hernandez (Former Honduran President) - Sentenced to 45 years in prison in the US for drug trafficking, whom President Trump plans to pardon.
• Charles Maines (NPR Reporter) - Reported from Moscow on the latest round of Ukraine peace talks and the state of play.
• Marco Rubio (Secretary of State) - Hosted Ukrainian negotiators in Florida to discuss a new US peace plan.
• Steve Witkoff (US Envoy) - Expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace negotiations, despite a leaked transcript suggesting he coached the Kremlin.
• Jared Kushner (President's Son-in-law) - Part of the US delegation that hosted Ukrainian negotiators in Florida.
• Vladimir Zelensky (Ukrainian President) - His chief of staff resigned due to a corruption scandal, impacting the Ukrainian delegation in peace talks.
• Vladimir Putin (Russian President) - Defended US envoy Steve Witkoff and offered an immediate end to hostilities if Ukraine withdraws from territories Moscow claims.

Organizations & Institutions

• US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) - The agency responsible for processing immigration applications, which has a 1 million case backlog for asylum decisions.
• House and Senate Armed Services Committees - Vowed to increase oversight of the US boat strikes in the Caribbean.

Websites & Online Resources

• plus.npr.org - A website where listeners can sign up for NPR Plus to make a recurring donation and support public media.