Trump suspends Afghan immigration after National Guard shooting
After the Washington DC shooting involving an Afghan national, Trump froze all Afghan immigration requests and signalled a re-examination of past admissions
Following the shooting of the two National Guard soldiers near the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday (November 26), the Trump administration has suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghanistan residents.
This comes as another blow to the Afghans, after America imposed a travel ban on those who helped the US military before the Taliban regained Kabul in 2021, to relocate to the US to avoid retribution from the Taliban government. US President Donald Trump also suggested that the administration should re-examine every Afghan who entered the country.
The sudden decision to suspend processing immigration requests was made after an Afghan man was identified as the suspect. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the decision was made while they review "security and vetting procedures".
Shootout in Washington
According to the BBC, two West Virginia National guardsmen were deployed on Wednesday on a high-visibility patrol near the corner of 17th and I streets, which is a busy lunch spot for office workers. The incident took place at 14.15 EST (11.45 pm IST) near the Farragut Square Metro Station, according to the Joint Task Force DC, which is coordinating the National Guard deployments in Washington, DC.
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Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area rushed over and subdued the gunman after he was shot, said Jeffrey Carroll, Executive Assistant Chief of the DC Police. He said that investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser described the incident as a 'targeted shooting'.
The incident occurred the day before Thanksgiving, following months of concerns from residents in the nation's capital and other cities across the country about the deployment. These concerns have fuelled ongoing court battles and sparked a broader public debate about the Trump administration's use of the military to address what officials described as an escalating crime crisis.
Trump's reaction
Following the incident, in an X post, Trump called the shooter an "animal" and said that he would "pay a very steep price" for his crime. Trump also confirmed that the guardsmen and the shooter were critically wounded and were being treated in separate hospitals. "But regardless, he will pay a steep price," he wrote.
"God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!" he added.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2025
On November 26, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the re-examination of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Joe Biden administration.
“If they can't love our country, we don't want them,” he said. He further called it "a crime against our entire nation" and noted that this was "an act of terror", ensuring that he would take measures to remove foreigners "from any country who does not belong here", BBC quoted him.
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Following the incident, the Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to be sent to Washington. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump asked him to send the troops. Nearly 2,200 troops are currently assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government's latest update.
Vice President JD Vance said, 'I think it's a sombre reminder that soldiers, whether they're active duty, reserve, or National Guard, are the sword and the shield of the United States of America” in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.
An Afghan suspect
The Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect involved in the shootout was a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome. The suspect, who has been living in Washington state, has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
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According to the BBC, he applied for asylum in 2024, and it was granted earlier this year. Lakamal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 127.1 km north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord Kristina Widman.
Operation Allies Welcome
The Operation Allies Welcome was a programme, launched during the Biden administration, that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the US withdrawal from the country, officials said. The Taliban returned to power following the US withdrawal in 2021. To avoid retribution from the newly formed Taliban government, those who worked for the US military found this programme to relocate to America.
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The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the US, many of whom had worked alongside US troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.
Controversial emergency order
Earlier this August, Trump issued an emergency order that federalised the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later, but the troops remained. Last week a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment, but she also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.
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The guard members have patrolled neighbourhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events.
More than 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed in August. About 160 of them volunteered last week to extend their deployment until the end of the year, while the others returned home just over a week ago.