The United States on Thursday announced an indefinite halt to all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals, following a shooting incident near the White House in Washington, DC, in which the suspect was identified as an Afghan national.The US citizenship and immigration services (USCIS) confirmed the decision on X, saying: “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”
It added, “The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.”According to law enforcement sources cited by CBS News, the suspect is 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021. Authorities are still verifying his background, and the motive behind the attack remains unclear.The shooting left two West Virginia National Guard members critically injured after they were attacked Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the White House. They had been deployed to the capital, and the mayor described the incident as a targeted act of violence. FBI director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the soldiers were hospitalised in critical condition.Officials said the 29-year-old suspect arrived in the US through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program that facilitated the evacuation and resettlement of tens of thousands of Afghans after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The initiative brought nearly Afghans to the country, many of whom had worked with American forces. The program has faced scrutiny from Republicans, President Donald Trump, and government watchdogs over the speed of admissions and potential gaps in security vetting, even as advocates argue it protected people vulnerable to Taliban reprisals.Lakanwal, who had been living in Washington state, was identified by law enforcement officials, though authorities were still working to fully verify his background, according to two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the investigation who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Trump condemned the shooting, calling it “an act of terror” and asserting that the suspect entered the country in 2021. He urged a reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees admitted under the Biden administration following the attack on the National Guard members.In a video message released Wednesday night, Trump said: “If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”
