The United States has halted all visas and even asylum reviews for Afghanistan amid a massive immigration crackdown. The announcement is part of a broader response to the shooting incident near the White House which killed a National Guard and left another critically injured. US President Donald Trump had also announced on Thursday that he would “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries”.
“President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people,” reiterated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The message came soon after the Department of State announced that it was taking “all necessary steps to protect US national security and public safety”. It explained that visa issuance had been paused with immediate effect for all Afghan citizens. The Trump administration has also paused asylum reviews for all countries — vowing to introduce tougher vetting procedures.
No visas, no asylum for Afghans
Trump and other US officials have used the attack to demand a re-examination for everyone who came to the country from from Afghanistan — a country he called “a hellhole on Earth” on Thursday. The recent developments plunged nearly 200,000 Afghans currently living across America into deep fear and shame over the actions of one person from the community. Those currently in the country are now worrying about legal status being revoked while others in the immigration pipeline are waiting in limbo.
The President has dubbed the shooting a “terrorist attack” and vehemently criticised the preceding Joe Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with US forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the country. Trump claimed that he wanted to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and expel millions of immigrants from the country.
Murder charges against suspect in National Guard shooting
Charges against the man accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died on Friday. The suspect is a a 29-year-old Afghan national who worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War. Rahmanullah Lakanwal entered the US under a Biden-era program called Operation Allies Welcome which resettled Afghans following American withdrawal from the country. He had reportedly applied for asylum during the Biden era but got approval earlier this year under the Trump administration.