The US has indefinitely suspended immigration from Afghanistan after two National Guard soldiers were shot and seriously injured in Washington.
“All immigration proceedings involving Afghan nationals will be suspended indefinitely, effective immediately, pending a review of our security and background checks. Protecting and ensuring the safety of our country and the American people remains our sole focus and mission,” the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said in a statement.
President Donald Trump also ordered agencies to review the cases of Afghan nationals entering the US since Washington withdrew its troops from the South Asian country in 2021.
The US government’s moves come after two National Guard soldiers were shot and seriously injured while on duty near the White House. The suspect was also shot and taken to the hospital, the motive for the attack is unknown.
Mr. Trump announced on November 27 that Sarah Beckstrom, one of the two guardsmen shot, had died at the hospital.
The suspect was later identified as Rahmanaullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan citizen who entered the United States in September 2021 under President Joe Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome, a program to resettle Afghans who fled their country after the Taliban took power in August 2021.
President Trump described the shooting as an “act of terrorism.” FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency was investigating the incident with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Speaking at the Mar-a-Lago resort on the evening of November 26, Mr. Trump criticized his predecessor for Operation Allies Welcome and described Mr. Biden as a “terrible president.”
Vice President JD Vance also expressed his agreement with Mr. Trump. “That year, I criticized Mr. Biden for his open-door policy to welcome unverified Afghans. Friends said I was racist. That was a moment that made me see the nature of the problem. Those people should not be present in our country,” he said.
The US-based Migration Policy Institute said that as of 2022, about 195,000 Afghan immigrants were living in the country, most of them concentrated in Washington and Sacramento, California.
