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By Hollie SilvermanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced late Wednesday that it has stopped processing all immigration requests from Afghan nationals following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
The suspect in the shooting, identified by multiple media outlets as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is an Afghan national who came to the U.S. in 2021 during the administration of former President Joe Biden under a program called Operation Allies Welcome.
President Donald Trump backed those reports in a video statement released by the White House on X Wednesday night, saying, "The suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth. He was floated by the Biden administration in September 2021 for those infamous flights that everybody was talking about."
In a post on X late Wednesday, USCIS said, "Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.
"The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission."
In June, the Trump administration placed Afghanistan on a travel ban list, with the exception of people with Afghan Special Immigrant Visas, given to Afghans who helped the U.S. government during the war there.
Why It Matters
The shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C., has reignited concerns about security and the vetting of Afghan refugees, especially after the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 led to rapid resettlement of tens of thousands of Afghans in the United States.
Trump linked the incident to his wider immigration policy and criticized the prior administration, calling for a "reexamining" of all Afghan nationals brought in under the program during the Biden administration.
The decision is expected to impact Afghan nationals seeking asylum, resettlement or other immigration benefits, while raising questions on U.S. commitments to wartime allies and national security priorities.
...What To Know
USCIS announced in a post to X that all processing of immigration requests from Afghan nationals are "stopped indefinitely." The statement came hours after a suspect in the shooting of the Guard members near the White House was identified as an Afghan national. The duration of the suspension is undefined, and the review process is ongoing.
Authorities identified the suspect as Lakanwal, who arrived in the U.S. in 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome program after the Taliban recaptured Kabul.
The victims, two members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed to Washington, D.C., for the Trump administration's crackdown on crime in the nation's capital, were critically injured.
The suspect was shot, injured and arrested. Officials have not determined a motive, but Trump described the shootings as "an act of terror."
Lakanwal reportedly served with U.S. forces in Afghanistan for 10 years and arrived in the United States as part of an effort to protect Afghan allies, according to family members who spoke to NBC News.
The U.S. government allowed around 76,000 Afghans entry under Operation Allies Welcome, designed to assist those at risk after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Following the attack, Trump announced the deployment of an additional 500 federal troops to Washington, D.C., supplementing the over 2,000 National Guard soldiers already stationed there for what the administration calls a public safety initiative.
The shooting and the administration's response have drawn renewed scrutiny to the legal status and operational role of the National Guard in the nation's capital.
Advocacy groups and some lawmakers have also raised concerns about the vetting process for Afghan refugees.
While human rights advocates argue that arrivals face significant scrutiny, government audits have found flaws and data inaccuracies in records. The Biden-era program granted temporary parole, not permanent status, to most evacuees. The Trump administration recently moved to end Afghanistan’s temporary protected status designation.
What People Are Saying
President Trump: “We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country. If they can't love our country, we don't want them.”
Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, to NBC News Wednesday night: “This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community.”
Republican West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, on Wednesday: “Our prayers are with these brave service members, their families, and the entire Guard community.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, on X Wednesday night: “The suspect who shot our brave National Guardsmen is an Afghan national who was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome on September 8, 2021, under the Biden Administration. I will not utter this depraved individual’s name. He should be starved of the glory he so desperately wants. These men and women of the National Guard are mothers, fathers, sisters, daughters, children of God, carrying out the same basic public safety and immigration laws enshrined in law for decades. The politicians and media who continue to vilify our men and women in uniform need to take a long hard look in the mirror. Bryon and I will be praying hard for these two National Guardsmen, their families, and every American who puts on uniform to defend our freedom."
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