In response to a targeted shooting near the White House, the United States has indefinitely suspended all immigration requests for Afghan nationals. The decision, announced by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services on Thursday, follows a critical incident on Wednesday where two National Guard soldiers were ambushed and severely injured. The suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national from Washington State, is currently in custody after sustaining gunshot wounds during the attack. Authorities are investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. Lakanwal entered the US in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era initiative to resettle Afghans who aided US efforts during the Afghanistan war. He was granted asylum in April 2025. The US government emphasized that the suspension aims to reassess security and vetting protocols to ensure national safety. Former President Donald Trump condemned the attack as an act of terror and vowed to re-examine Afghan resettlement policies from the Biden administration.
US suspends all immigration requests for Afghans after Washington shooting
