Post by : Rameen Ariff

The United States has announced a sudden pause on issuing visas to anyone travelling with an Afghan passport, following a deadly shooting that claimed the life of a National Guard member in Washington, DC. The move marks another sharp step in President Donald Trump’s expanding immigration crackdown.

The announcement was made on Friday by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed that visa processing for Afghan passport holders had been stopped “immediately” in the interest of public safety. At the same time, US immigration authorities declared that all asylum decisions would be halted until further notice.

The decisions came after authorities identified Afghan national Rahmanaullah Lakanwal as the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting attack that targeted two National Guard soldiers near the White House. The incident killed 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom and left 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe in critical condition.

Rubio said protecting Americans remains the government’s highest priority. According to investigators, the attack was unprovoked, with Lakanwal allegedly ambushing the two uniformed soldiers while they were on patrol in the area.

The CIA confirmed that Lakanwal previously worked for the agency in Afghanistan before moving to the United States under “Operation Allies Welcome,” a programme launched during Joe Biden’s presidency to help Afghans who assisted US forces relocate safely after the 2021 withdrawal.

Following Beckstrom’s death on Thursday evening, the US Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC, announced upgraded charges against Lakanwal, including first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill.

In a separate update, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director Joseph Edlow said the agency had stopped processing all asylum decisions to ensure every applicant undergoes maximum screening. He also confirmed a full review of green card applications from 19 “countries of concern,” as directed by President Trump.

President Trump described the shooting as a “terrorist attack” and used the incident to intensify criticism of Biden-era immigration policies, especially those that allowed Afghan nationals to resettle in the US. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he would suspend immigration from what he termed “Third World countries,” though he did not specify which nations fall under this category.

He added that individuals who pose a security risk or fail to contribute to the country would be removed, and that he would seek to denaturalize people who “undermine domestic tranquillity.”

Since returning to office in January, Trump has adopted some of the strictest immigration measures in decades. In October, his administration announced the US would admit only 7,500 refugees in 2026 — the lowest number since the 1980s.

The latest actions signal a continued tightening of immigration rules, with significant implications for Afghan nationals and refugees seeking safety in the United States.

#Global News