The US State Department announced that, following an armed attack on two National Guard members in Washington DC, it has “immediately” suspended visa issuance for individuals traveling with Afghan passports. The decision is part of new measures in the Trump administration’s immigration policy, justified on security grounds.
Just prior to this decision, US immigration authorities announced that all asylum application decisions have been suspended indefinitely. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on the X platform, “Visa issuance for all individuals traveling with Afghan passports has been suspended.”
Attack Suspect is Afghan National Lakanwal
Authorities confirmed that the main suspect in Wednesday night’s Washington attack is Afghan national Rahmanaullah Lakanwal. The attack resulted in the death of Sarah Beckstrom (20) of the West Virginia National Guard, while Andrew Wolfe (24) was seriously injured.
The Trump administration described the attack as an “act of terrorism,” and the CIA confirmed this week that Lakanwal had worked for Afghanistan’s intelligence agency before arriving in the US in 2021.
The Columbia District Prosecutor’s Office announced that charges against Lakanwal have been elevated to first-degree murder.
USCIS: “All Asylum Decisions Suspended”
Joseph Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated that the agency has suspended all asylum decisions “for the safety of the American public.”
Edlow said, “All asylum decisions are suspended until the highest level of review is provided for every foreign national.”
He also noted that, under Trump’s directive, all green card applications from countries deemed “a source of concern” will be reexamined.
Trump Signals New Immigration Measures: “I Will Suspend Immigration from All Third World Countries”
President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that he has ordered authorities to reexamine all green card applications from 19 high-risk countries. Trump also expressed plans to “suspend immigration from all Third World countries.”
Trump said, “I will remove anyone who does not clearly add value to the US or lacks the capacity to love our country,” adding that “immigrants disrupting domestic peace will be stripped of citizenship” and foreign nationals threatening public safety will be deported.
Tough Period in Immigration Policy
Since returning to the White House in January, the Trump administration has taken rapid steps to restrict immigration. In an October announcement, it was stated that only 7,500 refugees would be admitted to the US in fiscal year 2026. This figure marks the lowest quota since 1980.
