US freezes Afghan visas and halts all asylum rulings in security clampdown
The administration has also suspended all asylum rulings with immediate effect
- Nov 29, 2025,
- Updated Nov 29, 2025 12:36 PM IST
The United States has imposed an immediate freeze on issuing visas to anyone traveling on an Afghan passport, with the State Department calling the move a necessary step to protect national security and public safety. The sweeping action forms part of a rapid tightening of immigration controls after a National Guard soldier was killed and another critically injured in a shooting near the White House.
The administration has also suspended all asylum rulings with immediate effect. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow said officers have been instructed to halt decisions until “every applicant can be vetted to the maximum degree possible.” Agencies have begun re-screening past asylum approvals and green-card applications cleared during the Biden administration.
The clampdown follows Wednesday’s attack on two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, DC. The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal — an Afghan national resettled in the US in 2021 — had been granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her injuries, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition, according to law-enforcement briefings.
Edlow said the asylum freeze would remain in place until authorities can ensure “proper vetting” of all applicants. President Trump framed the shift more broadly, declaring a “permanent pause” on migration from all “Third World Countries” and warning he would revoke citizenship from anyone he considers a threat to domestic order.
The administration has also begun re-examining green-card applications from nationals of 19 countries previously flagged in a June presidential proclamation restricting travel on security grounds.
Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a full halt on visa issuance for Afghan passport holders. The freeze affects more than 100,000 pending Afghan immigration cases, many dating back to the 2021 US withdrawal.
Officials said Lakanwal had previously worked with the CIA-backed Zero Unit in Afghanistan, an elite team operating alongside US special forces. Investigators said he had cleared earlier vetting checks before being granted asylum. Trump said the attack “underscores the greatest national security threat facing our nation,” arguing that existing immigration controls are insufficient.
The United States has imposed an immediate freeze on issuing visas to anyone traveling on an Afghan passport, with the State Department calling the move a necessary step to protect national security and public safety. The sweeping action forms part of a rapid tightening of immigration controls after a National Guard soldier was killed and another critically injured in a shooting near the White House.
The administration has also suspended all asylum rulings with immediate effect. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow said officers have been instructed to halt decisions until “every applicant can be vetted to the maximum degree possible.” Agencies have begun re-screening past asylum approvals and green-card applications cleared during the Biden administration.
The clampdown follows Wednesday’s attack on two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, DC. The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal — an Afghan national resettled in the US in 2021 — had been granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died of her injuries, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition, according to law-enforcement briefings.
Edlow said the asylum freeze would remain in place until authorities can ensure “proper vetting” of all applicants. President Trump framed the shift more broadly, declaring a “permanent pause” on migration from all “Third World Countries” and warning he would revoke citizenship from anyone he considers a threat to domestic order.
The administration has also begun re-examining green-card applications from nationals of 19 countries previously flagged in a June presidential proclamation restricting travel on security grounds.
Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a full halt on visa issuance for Afghan passport holders. The freeze affects more than 100,000 pending Afghan immigration cases, many dating back to the 2021 US withdrawal.
Officials said Lakanwal had previously worked with the CIA-backed Zero Unit in Afghanistan, an elite team operating alongside US special forces. Investigators said he had cleared earlier vetting checks before being granted asylum. Trump said the attack “underscores the greatest national security threat facing our nation,” arguing that existing immigration controls are insufficient.