US Suspends Afghan Visas, Asylum Applications After Fatal White House Shooting

Last Updated:November 29, 2025, 07:12 IST

The US State Department announced that it had suspended visa issuance for individuals holding Afghan passports.

Both the guards were admitted to the hospital in critical condition. (AFP)

The US has suspended issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports, following a “targeted" shooting near the White House that killed one Guard soldier and left another injured. The suspect in the attack has been identified as an Afghan national who arrived in the country in September 2021.

In a statement, the Department of State said that it is taking all necessary steps to protect US national security and public safety, describing the suspension as an urgent precautionary measure.

“The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety," it said in a post on X.

Additionally, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also halted all asylum decisions until all migrants can be rigorously vetted and screened.

“USCIS has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible. The safety of the American people always comes first," USCIS Director Joseph B Edlow said in a post on X.

These actions are part of a broader crackdown on immigration, with the administration emphasizing national security and public safety as paramount concerns.

Earlier, the State Department also suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghans. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the decision was made pending a review of “security and vetting protocols".

US President Donald Trump said the attack was an “act of terror", adding that he would take steps to remove foreigners “from any country who does not belong here". However, he later clarified that he does not blame all Afghans for the attack. Replying to a question on whether the US President blames all Afghans, Trump said, “No, but we’ve had a lot of problems with Afghans. There was no checking! They just poured into the plane."

White House Shooting

The shooting took place on Wednesday afternoon in downtown Washington, only a few blocks from the White House. Two members of the West Virginia Guard were on a “high-visibility patrol" at around 2:15 pm near 17th and I Streets when a gunman approached from around a corner and “ambushed" them, Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said.

The Department of Homeland Security named the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, “a criminal alien from Afghanistan". He was shot and injured before being taken into custody. It said Lakanwal had entered the US during the presidency of Joe Biden in September 2021, under a programme for Afghans named called Operation Allies Welcome.

At the time, the Taliban had taken back control of Afghanistan following a chaotic withdrawal of US forces.

A Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and received approval on 23 April this year, after President Donald Trump took office. DHS said he had no known criminal history.

Following the attack, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump had ordered an additional 500 Guard troops to Washington. They will join the 2,200 already deployed as part of the administration’s broad security and immigration crackdown in several Democratic-led cities.

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