US halts all asylum decisions after National Guard shooting

The president has said he wants to 'permanently pause migration' from poorer nations and expel millions of immigrants from the country

People walk past a small memorial in a planter where two National Guard members were shot in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

Charges against the man accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died, while the US government announced a halt to all asylum decisions.

Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, were taken to hospital in critical condition after the Wednesday afternoon shooting near the White House.