The United States has frozen all immigration processing for Afghan nationals, marking an abrupt shift in federal policy just hours after two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House by an Afghan migrant. The announcement came directly from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which declared that every category of immigration request related to Afghan nationals—including asylum, Green Cards, refugee resettlement, and visa applications—will remain suspended indefinitely until new security and vetting protocols are reviewed. The agency framed the halt as a homeland-security measure, saying the protection of the American public now overrides all other immigration considerations.
This decision follows strong rhetoric from President Donald Trump, who condemned the shooting near the White House as a terrorist attack and vowed sweeping deportation efforts against individuals he described as “dangerous migrants” admitted following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021. The gun attack, which triggered a security lockdown in central Washington, DC, involved two members of the West Virginia National Guard who were ambushed a few blocks from the White House. The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was critically injured in an exchange of fire and remains under heavy surveillance at a hospital. Early investigative findings suggest he acted alone.
The shooter arrived in the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, the resettlement program that granted emergency entry to tens of thousands of Afghans during the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Trump’s administration has repeatedly criticised the program, arguing that its accelerated screening posed long-term security risks. In the aftermath of the attack, Trump ordered the Pentagon to deploy an additional 500 troops to Washington, DC, to reinforce federal security operations, saying the assault represented “an act of evil and an act of hatred” against the United States.
The suspension of Afghan immigration—announced without any end date—introduces enormous uncertainty for tens of thousands of Afghans already in the US immigration pipeline. It also leaves families, resettlement agencies, and legal advocates in limbo. Afghan applicants with pending cases will not receive decisions or scheduling updates until the policy is reviewed, and new applications will not be accepted. The move instantly places some Afghans at risk of losing lawful status once their temporary protections expire.
With political fallout mounting and security agencies now reviewing all Afghan vetting procedures, it remains unclear whether the immigration freeze will be temporary or evolve into a longer-term restriction. The shock of the attack has already intensified national debate over refugee protections, counter-terrorism concerns, and the future of Operation Allies Welcome—setting the stage for another major battle over US immigration policy.
