U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said Friday it has stopped all asylum adjudications following the D.C. shooting, where an Afghan citizen is accused of shooting two National Guard members; one died from her wounds.
USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow stated that asylum adjudications are suspended “until we can ensure every alien undergoes maximum vetting and screening.”
“The safety of the American people is always paramount,” he posted on X.
This pause is part of a wider immigration crackdown signaled by President Donald Trump, who Thursday pledged to stop migration from “Third World countries” and reverse Biden-era admissions.
STATE DEPARTMENT ‘IMMEDIATELY’ HALTS ALL AFGHAN PASSPORT VISAS FOLLOWING DEADLY NATIONAL GUARD ATTACK
Edlow said Thursday that officials will reexamine green cards for immigrants from every “country of concern,” including Afghanistan. USCIS also enacted new national security protocols for vetting immigrants from “high risk” countries.
“I have directed a full, thorough reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” he posted.
The Department of Homeland Security reported it has already stopped all immigration requests from Afghanistan and is reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration.
Separately, the Department of State has stopped all visas for people traveling on Afghan passports after the attack on the National Guard members.
“The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” the agency said. “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.”
National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of West Virginia, died after Wednesday’s shooting in D.C., while the other service member wounded, Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
The alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, faces charges including first-degree murder and assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department will seek the death penalty.
WHO IS THE DC NATIONAL GUARDSMEN SHOOTING SUSPECT? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT AFGHAN NATIONAL RAHMANULLAH LAKANWAL
Lakanwal legally entered the U.S. in 2021 under humanitarian parole as part of Operation Allies Welcome after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
He was vetted by the CIA in Afghanistan for his work with the agency, and again for his asylum application in the U.S. A senior U.S. official told Fox News he was “clean on all checks” during his background check.
Lakanwal’s asylum application was approved earlier this year by the Trump administration.
A June report by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General found “no systemic failures” in Afghan refugee vetting or subsequent immigration pathways.
