The Trump administration has indefinitely paused all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals. The bold move comes after two National Guard troops were shot in Washington, D.C.
The suspected shooter has been identified as an Afghan national. Part of the official statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reads, “I will not utter this depraved individual’s name. He should be starved of the glory he so desperately wants.”
However, law enforcement has identified the suspect as Rahmaullah Lakanwal, who reportedly came to the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome. It was a program introduced by Joe Biden under which tens of thousands of Afghans were evacuated and resettled after the U.S. withdrawal from the country.
CNN reports he applied for asylum in 2024, and the Trump administration granted it in April 2025.
After the shooting incident on Wednesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services wrote on X, “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols. The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.”
Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.
The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and…
— USCIS (@USCIS) November 27, 2025
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump also issued a video message in which he can be heard saying, “We’re not going to put up with these kinds of assaults on law and order by people who shouldn’t even be in our country.”
He called for an investigation of all Afghan refugees who entered the country under the Biden administration.
“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country,” Trump said.
“America will never bend and never yield in the face of terror, and at the same time, we will not be deterred from our mission,” he added.
.@POTUS: “We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country.” pic.twitter.com/jAPGBP5HH2
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 27, 2025
For those unfamiliar, the program reportedly brought nearly 76,000 people to the U.S. with incomplete vetting. Many of these refugees are said to have worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as translators and interpreters. According to a report by NBC News, the suspect had been a member of the Afghan army for 10 years and worked closely with U.S. troops until the country was taken over by the Taliban in 2021 after the withdrawal of the United States.
The unfortunate incident has reignited debate over the adequacy of vetting, as Republicans have cited gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions. Kristi Noem said in a statement, “The suspect who shot our brave National Guardsmen is an Afghan national who was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome on September 8, 2021, under the Biden Administration.”
The suspect who shot our brave National Guardsmen is an Afghan national who was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome on September 8, 2021, under the Biden Administration.
I will not utter this depraved individual’s name.…
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) November 27, 2025
Trump called the incident “a crime against our entire nation,” while adding, “If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.”
The FBI is investigating the motive of the crime. The latest reports mention that the suspect “came around the corner” and started firing at the troops a few blocks away from the White House.
FBI Director Kash Patel said that the unidentified guardsmen who were shot were hospitalized in critical condition.
