Pause on visas and halting of asylum functions comes after capturing of two Nationwide Guard members in Washington, DC.
The US State Division has introduced it’s “instantly” pausing issuing visas for people travelling on Afghan passports to guard “public security”, as President Donald Trump administration’s immigration crackdown intensifies within the wake of a deadly attack on two National Guard members.
The announcement on Friday got here as United States immigration authorities mentioned they’re additionally halting choices on all asylum functions for the foreseeable future.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in a put up on X on Friday that the State Division had “paused visa issuance for ALL people touring on Afghan passports”.
The transfer comes after authorities named Afghan nationwide Rahmanaullah Lakanwal as the principle suspect in Wednesday’s capturing in Washington, DC, which killed one Nationwide Guard member and left one other in vital situation.
“America has no increased precedence than defending our nation and our individuals,” Rubio mentioned.
President Trump’s State Division has paused visa issuance for ALL people touring on Afghan passports.
America has no increased precedence than defending our nation and our individuals. https://t.co/HuR1Lj7F9t
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) November 28, 2025
Lakanwal is alleged to have ambushed West Virginia Nationwide Guard members Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe in an unprovoked assault as they patrolled close to the White Home.
On Thursday night, the Trump administration confirmed that 20-year-old Beckstrom had died from her injuries, whereas 24-year-old Wolfe stays in vital situation.
The CIA confirmed this week that Lakanwal had labored for the spy company in Afghanistan earlier than emigrating to the US shortly after the withdrawal of Western forces from the nation in 2021.
The workplace of US Legal professional for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, introduced on Friday that the costs towards Lakanwal had been upgraded to first-degree homicide, together with two counts of assault with intent to kill whereas armed.
In a separate announcement on Friday, US Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) director Joseph Edlow mentioned the company had additionally paused all asylum choices within the curiosity of the “security of the American individuals”.
“USCIS has halted all asylum choices till we are able to be certain that each alien is vetted and screened to the utmost diploma attainable,” Edlow mentioned in a put up on X.
A day earlier, Edlow mentioned he had ordered “a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of each inexperienced card for each alien from each nation of concern” on the path of Trump.
The strikes are the most recent in a collection of escalating restrictions imposed on immigration into the US at Trump’s urging.
Trump, who known as the lethal Washington, DC, capturing a “terrorist assault”, has on a number of events over current days attacked former President Joe Biden’s administration’s immigration insurance policies, together with the granting of visas to Afghan nationals who labored with US forces in Afghanistan.
Lakanwal got here to the US underneath a Biden-era programme often known as “Operation Allies Welcome”, following the US withdrawal in 2021.
In a put up on his Fact Social platform on Thursday, Trump ordered authorities to re-examine all inexperienced card functions from 19 “nations of concern”, earlier than saying he deliberate to droop immigration from “all Third World nations”.
He didn’t outline the time period “Third World”, however the phrase is usually used as a shorthand for creating nations within the International South.
Trump additionally mentioned that he would “take away anybody who will not be a internet asset to the US, or is incapable of loving our Nation”.
“[I will] denaturalize migrants who undermine home tranquillity, and deport any international nationwide who’s a public cost, safety danger, or non-compatible with Western civilization,” he mentioned.
Since returning to the White Home in January, Trump has already taken aggressive measures to limit immigration, saying in October his administration would settle for solely 7,500 refugees in 2026 – the bottom quantity since 1980.
