US Stop Visas for Afghan Passport Holders After Shooting DC Attack:

US announced immediately pausing the issuing of visas for anyone traveling on an Afghan passport. The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown following a deadly attack that left one National Guard member dead and another critically injured.shortly after immigration authorities revealed that they are also halting all asylum decisions for the foreseeable future. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that the State Department had stopped issuing visas for “ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports” in the interest of public safety. The new restrictions come after officials identified Rahmanaullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, as the main suspect in Wednesday’s shooting in Washington, DC. The attack killed 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, and left 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe in critical condition. Authorities say the two were patrolling near the White House when they were ambushed without warning. Rubio said that protecting the American people remains the government’s highest priority. The case gained further attention this week after the CIA confirmed that Lakanwal had previously worked for the agency in Afghanistan. He later moved to the US under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program that supported Afghans who had assisted American forces before the 2021 withdrawal. On Friday, Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, announced that Lakanwal is now facing an upgraded charge of first-degree murder, along with two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. The administration’s actions did not end there. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow said the agency has paused all asylum decisions “to ensure every person is fully vetted.” He added that USCIS has launched a complete review of all green cards issued to immigrants from what the administration calls “countries of concern.” Edlow noted that this decision came directly from President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for tougher immigration policies since returning to office in January. The deadly shooting has added fuel to Trump’s repeated criticism of former President Joe Biden’s immigration approach—especially the admission of Afghan allies after the fall of Kabul. Following the attack, Trump called the shooting a “terrorist attack” and said authorities must re-examine all green card applications from 19 countries he listed as “countries of concern.” On his Truth Social platform, Trump went further, saying he intends to suspend immigration from what he described as “all Third World countries,” though he did not define the term. He also said he would seek to remove anyone in the US who he believes is “not a net asset,” or who poses a security risk. Since taking office again, Trump has already implemented some of the strictest immigration limits in decades. In October, his administration announced that the US would accept only 7,500 refugees in 2026, the lowest cap since 1980. The pause on Afghan visas and the halt to asylum decisions mark the latest steps in a rapidly expanding set of immigration restrictions. For many Afghan families hoping to reunite with loved ones in the US—or seeking safety from ongoing instability—the announcement brings new uncertainty and concern about what will happen next.

NEWS