"Effective immediately": US halts Afghan immigration processing after DC National Guard shooting

Washington: The United States has ordered an immediate and indefinite halt to all immigration processing for Afghan nationals, with officials citing the need for a comprehensive review of existing security and vetting procedures. The move pauses visa applications, asylum claims and all other immigration pathways for Afghans until the assessment is completed. The announcement came after two National Guard personnel were injured in a shooting near the White House on Thursday, allegedly carried out by an Afghan national. In a statement, authorities said the protection of the homeland and the safety of the American public remains the government's "singular focus and mission. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday identified an Afghan man who fled the Taliban as the suspect in the attack on the two National Guard soldiers, calling the incident "an act of terror." In a short video address, Trump linked the shooting to three key political issues: his domestic deployment of military forces, the wider immigration debate, and the legacy of America's 20-year involvement in Afghanistan.

The broad daylight attack, which left the two Guard members critically wounded just two blocks from the White House, was described by Trump as "an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror," adding, "It was a crime against our entire nation." He confirmed that the suspect taken into custody "was a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan." Trump said the man arrived in the US in 2021 "on those infamous flights," referring to the evacuation of Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover after the US withdrawal. The shooting, which occurred near a busy metro station at peak weekday hours, has renewed scrutiny of Trump's deployment of military forces in several Democrat led cities, including Washington, Los Angeles and Memphis, a strategy that has attracted lawsuits and criticism from local leaders. Trump's remarks also pointed to a hardening of his immigration position. "We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan" under President Joe Biden, he said. Trump added, "We must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country. If they can't love our country, we don't want them."