The United States has suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghans following a shooting in Washington, D.C. that left two National Guard soldiers critically injured. The alleged gunman has been identified as an Afghan national who entered the country in 2021.
The suspension, announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is pending a full review of “security and vetting protocols.” The decision marks a significant policy shift in the wake of the attack near the White House.
Attack Details and Political Fallout
The shooting occurred Wednesday afternoon near the busy Farragut Square Metro Station. According to police, the suspect, named by the Department of Homeland Security as Rahmanullah Lakamal, ambushed the soldiers, opening fire before being subdued by other National Guard members.
President Donald Trump condemned the attack as an “act of terror” and vowed to re-examine the status of every Afghan admitted under the special protections following the 2021 withdrawal. “We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden,” he stated.
The suspect had entered the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome and was granted asylum earlier this year, according to a CBS report. His alleged actions have now triggered a sweeping reassessment of a program that brought tens of thousands of Afghans to the United States, placing a intense political spotlight on the nation’s immigration and vetting systems.
By James Kisoo
