KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United States has indefinitely suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghan nationals after two National Guard soldiers were shot and critically wounded near the White House and an Afghan national was detained as the suspected gunman.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the suspension late on Wednesday, saying the pause aims to allow a review of security and vetting procedures for Afghan applicants.
“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” the agency said on X. “The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.”
The shooting occurred Wednesday evening local time in downtown Washington, close to the White House, in what US officials described as a targeted ambush on the eve of Thanksgiving. The two soldiers, part of the National Guard deployment in the capital, were struck by gunfire and remain in critical condition at a local hospital.
The US Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as Rahmatullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who arrived in the United States in 2021 under “Operation Allies Welcome,” a program launched during the evacuation following the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul.
According to US officials cited by Reuters, Lakanwal was screened on September 8, 2021, at Washington Dulles International Airport. He previously served for a decade in the Afghan army, including years working alongside US Special Forces in Kandahar.
Authorities said the investigation remains active, and details regarding the suspect’s possible motive or any wider threat have not yet been established. Officials noted that preliminary assessments indicate the shooter acted alone.
Following the incident, U.S. President Donald Trump released a video statement calling the attack “an act of terror” and said his administration would reassess the immigration files of all Afghans who entered the country during Joe Biden’s presidency.
“He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021, on those infamous flights that everybody was talking about,” Trump said. “We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden.”
Federal agencies, including the FBI and DHS, are leading the investigation, which officials say may take days to assess fully. USCIS has not specified when or under what conditions processing of Afghan-related immigration requests might resume.
