US stops immigration requests of all Afghans after DC attack as Trump calls shooting an act of terror

The US on Thursday froze all immigration processing for Afghan nationals, a sudden move announced just hours after an Afghan individual carried out a targeted attack on National Guard personnel near the White House. The order, issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), took effect immediately and brought every pending Afghan-related request to a halt.

"Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols," USCIS said in a post on X. The agency added, "The protections and safety of our homeland and of the American people remain our singular focus and mission."

The decision follows President Donald Trump’s renewed push to tighten enforcement, including his warning that Afghan migrants who arrived after the 2021 Taliban takeover would face heightened scrutiny. Trump condemned the shooting of two National Guard soldiers as a “heinous assault” and “an act of terror,” and instructed the Pentagon to dispatch 500 additional troops to secure Washington DC.

The soldiers, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were ambushed a few blocks from the White House, prompting an immediate lockdown of the surrounding area. Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida for Thanksgiving when the attack took place.

"On the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, two members of the National Guard serving in Washington DC were shot at point-blank range in a monstrous ambush-style attack just steps away from the White House," Trump said in a video message. "This heinous assault was an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror... It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity."

Law enforcement officials have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who arrived in the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, the programme under which Afghan asylum applications were expedited. He was injured in the gunfire exchange and remains hospitalised under heavy security. Investigators believe he acted alone.