The US State Department announced Friday an immediate pause on issuing visas for all individuals traveling on Afghan passports, while US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) halted decisions on all asylum applications nationwide, as President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up immigration restrictions following the fatal shooting of a National Guard member in Washington, DC.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the visa suspension on X: “President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people.”
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow echoed the move: “USCIS has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure every alien is vetted to the maximum degree possible.” The directives follow the November 26 ambush near Farragut West Metro station, where 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly shot West Virginia National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20—who succumbed to her injuries—and Andrew Wolfe, 24, who remains in critical condition.
US Government Suspends Visa Issuance For Afghan Nationals | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/Zg8POEPKxN pic.twitter.com/QR2aoKjr00
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) November 29, 2025
Lakanwal, who entered the US in 2021 via Operation Allies Welcome after working with US forces (including the CIA) in Afghanistan, was granted asylum in April 2025. DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro upgraded charges to first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. The FBI, led by Director Kash Patel, is investigating as potential terrorism, with no prior criminal record for Lakanwal.
The measures build on Trump’s Thursday Truth Social post vowing to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries” and “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.” He also ordered a “full-scale re-examination” of green cards from 19 “countries of concern” (including Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Myanmar, Venezuela, Yemen). USCIS also suspended green card applications from Biden-era refugees (~200,000).
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These steps follow October’s refugee cap of 7,500 for 2026—the lowest since 1980—and Trump’s broader vow to deport “non-assets.” Immigrant rights advocates decry the measures as discriminatory, potentially stranding thousands of Afghan allies.
