'Effective Immediately': US Stops Afghan Immigration After DC National Guard Shooting
Trump labels Afghanistan a “hellhole” after DC Guard shooting, halts all Afghan immigration requests pending security review.
The United States has imposed an immediate and indefinite freeze on the processing of all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals, citing the need for a thorough reassessment of security and vetting procedures. The suspension affects visa applications, asylum pleas, and every other legal pathway available to Afghans until the review concludes.
The decision follows a shocking incident on Thursday, in which two National Guard personnel were shot by an Afghan national near the White House.
Homeland Security Cites Public Safety
In a brief statement, officials stressed that safeguarding the country remains their “singular focus and mission,” underscoring a renewed emphasis on national security amid growing political pressure.
Trump Calls Attack “Act of Terror”
President Donald Trump on Wednesday identified the suspect as an Afghan man who had fled the Taliban, describing the shooting of the two National Guard soldiers as “an act of terror.” His remarks linked the attack to three recurring political flashpoints: his domestic military deployments, US immigration policies, and the legacy of America’s two-decade war in Afghanistan.
Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.
— USCIS (@USCIS) November 27, 2025
The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and…
“I can confirm that, based on current intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security believes the suspect is a foreigner who came from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth,” he added. In response, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on X that “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols. The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.”
Shooting Near White House Heightens Tensions
The attack, carried out in broad daylight just two blocks from the White House, left both Guard members critically injured. Trump called it “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror,” adding that the suspect in custody “was a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan.”
Reference to 2021 Evacuation Flights
According to Trump, the suspect arrived in the US in 2021 “on those infamous flights,” a reference to the emergency evacuation effort that followed the Taliban’s return to power after the US troop withdrawal. The high-profile shooting near a busy metro station during peak hours has reignited scrutiny over Trump’s controversial deployment of federal military forces in several Democrat-led cities, including Washington, Los Angeles, and Memphis, a move that has drawn legal challenges and accusations of executive overreach.
Hardline Immigration Stance Intensifies
Trump also signalled a more aggressive push on immigration enforcement. “We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under former president Joe Biden,” he said. He added that the US must “take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country. If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.”
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