US Suspends All Immigration Processing for Afghan Nationals After Washington Shooting
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Wednesday that it has indefinitely suspended all immigration processing for Afghan nationals following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC.
In a statement posted on X, the agency said: “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.” USCIS emphasized that protecting the homeland and ensuring the safety of the American people remains its top priority.
The decision came shortly after two members of the US National Guard were shot in the nation’s capital on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday. President Donald Trump said the suspect entered the US from Afghanistan in 2021 during the Biden administration, vowing that “the animal who perpetrated this atrocity” would face the harshest consequences.
US media, citing law enforcement sources, identified the suspect as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who is now in custody. Trump also called for a full reassessment of individuals who entered the country from Afghanistan under former President Joe Biden, adding that the US must take all necessary measures to remove any foreign national who “does not belong here or add benefit” to the country.
