US halts all visas for Afghan passport holders after DC shooting
US freezes Afghan visa issuance after DC attack by Afghan national; Trump, Rubio cite urgent national security threats
The US Department of State on Saturday (November 29) has halted the issuance of visas to all individuals travelling to the country with Afghan passports. The department, in a post on X, cited the move as aimed at protecting US national security and ensuring public safety.
“The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals travelling on Afghan passports. The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety,” the Department of State stated in a post on X.
What Marco Rubio said
Reacting to the development, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US has no “higher priority” than protecting its own people.
“President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals travelling on Afghan passports. The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people,” stated Rubio in a post on X.
Also Read: Are Indian Green Card holders hit by Trump’s new scrutiny rules?
The development comes days after an Afghan national allegedly opened fire at two National Guard service members near the White House. While one of them died, the other is in critical condition.
Authorities identified the deceased as 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, who was on patrol with 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe when the assailant opened fire on November 26, just a short distance from the White House. President Trump was not at the residence during the attack.
Who is Rahmanullah Lakanwal
Investigators named the shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan citizen who arrived in the United States in 2021. Lakanwal entered the country through a program under the administration of then-President Joe Biden that was designed to relocate Afghans who had assisted U.S. operations during the war. His asylum approval occurred during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Also Read: Trump pauses all third-world migration, citing the DC trooper shooting
According to law-enforcement officials, Lakanwal travelled from his residence in Washington State across the country before targeting the two Guardsmen, using what investigators described as a high-powered revolver. He was ultimately struck in an exchange of gunfire with responding Guard personnel, reported the Hindustan Times.
What Trump said
Following the shooting, President Trump announced a series of proposed measures, stating he would implement a “permanent pause” on immigration from what he termed “all Third World Countries.” He also vowed to “terminate” what he called “illegal admissions” linked to former President Joe Biden’s policies and to eliminate federal benefits for individuals who are not U.S. citizens.
Trump further stated that he intends to remove foreign nationals considered security threats and pursue the “denaturalization” of migrants he believes “undermine domestic tranquility.”