US suspends Afghan immigration processing indefinitely following White House area shooting

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Thursday that it has immediately suspended all immigration requests for Afghan nationals.

The indefinite halt in processing comes just hours after an Afghan individual allegedly opened fire on National Guard members near the White House.

The federal agency stated that the suspension is effective immediately and will remain in place pending a further review of security and vetting protocols. 

In a statement released on the social media platform X, USCIS declared that the protection and safety of the homeland and the American people remain its singular focus and mission.

The decision follows a violent episode on the eve of Thanksgiving, where two members of the West Virginia National Guard were ambushed just blocks from the White House. 

The attack triggered an immediate lockdown of the area as law enforcement responded to the scene. 

Multiple law enforcement sources have identified the suspect as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the United States in 2021.

Lakanwal arrived in the country through Operation Allies Welcome, a federal program established to fast-track asylum applications for Afghan nationals following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. He was shot during the exchange of gunfire with authorities and is currently hospitalized under tight security. Investigators believe the suspect acted alone.

President Donald Trump, who was at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida for the holiday, swiftly denounced the shooting.

In a video address, he described the incident as a monstrous ambush-style attack carried out at point-blank range. Trump characterized the violence as a "heinous assault," an "act of terror," and a crime against humanity.

In response to the attack, the President instructed the Pentagon to deploy 500 additional troops to Washington, D.C., to further secure the capital. 

This policy shift aligns with President Trump’s prior indications that his administration would intensify deportation efforts and apply increased scrutiny to Afghan migrants who arrived in the U.S. after 2021.