US suspends all immigration requests for Afghans after Washington shooting

The United States announced on Thursday stopping the processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.

The announcement came after two National Guard soldiers were shot and critically wounded on Wednesday in downtown Washington near the White House in what officials described as a targeted ambush, and the suspect was in custody after suffering gunshot wounds during the attack.

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In a statement, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the decision goes into effect immediately, adding, "The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission."

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Afghan suspect

Investigators identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national from Washington State, according to two Trump administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, one official said.

Lakanwal came to the US in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, according to the second official, a Biden-era program to resettle thousands of Afghans who assisted the US during the Afghanistan war and were vulnerable to reprisals from the ruling Taliban after the U.S. withdrawal. He was processed through Washington Dulles International Airport on September 8 of that year.

Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23 of this year, according to the official, three months after President Donald Trump took office. He has no criminal history.

Trump, who was at his resort in Florida at the time of the attack, released a prerecorded video statement late on Wednesday calling the shooting "an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror." He said his administration would "re-examine" all Afghans who came to the US during Joe Biden's presidency.

Yasmin Hussein

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yasminabdel@khaleejtimes.com

Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.