WASHINGTON, DC: The United States has suspended all immigration processing for Afghan nationals indefinitely, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced, citing an immediate review of “security and vetting protocols.”
“The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus,” the agency wrote on X.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s televised address hours earlier, in which he said that all Afghan immigrants who entered the US under the previous administration will be re-examined. An internal memo, reported by CNN earlier this week, showed the administration had already begun re-interviewing Afghan migrants admitted under the prior government, arguing they were insufficiently vetted.
The announcement came as the Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect in Wednesday’s targeted shooting near the White House — which left two National Guardsmen in critical condition — as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021.
CNN previously confirmed Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024, which was approved by the Trump administration in April 2025.
The White House is facing mounting pressure as the shooting intensifies scrutiny of Afghan immigration processes and the broader vetting system.
