Afghan Shooter Sparks USCIS Overhaul: Immigration Filings Frozen Amid Security Fears
In a swift response to a brazen shooting near the White House, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has halted all processing of immigration applications from Afghan nationals, signaling heightened concerns over national security vetting.
The dramatic announcement came Wednesday, hours after authorities identified 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, as the suspect in the attack that left two National Guard members wounded. The incident unfolded just blocks from the executive mansion, where Lakanwal allegedly fired at point-blank range before being shot and taken into custody by responding officers.
President Donald Trump, addressing the nation from his Thanksgiving retreat in Palm Beach, Florida, decried the violence as a “monstrous, ambush-styled attack.” In a somber statement, he described the assault as “an act of evil and an act of hatred and an act of terror—a crime against our entire nation, a crime against humanity.” Trump extended condolences to the victims—members of the West Virginia National Guard—and their families, emphasizing the profound loss on the eve of a national holiday.
The suspect’s entry into the U.S. traces back to the chaotic aftermath of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. According to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Lakanwal was “mass paroled” into the country on September 8, 2021, via Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program designed to evacuate and resettle Afghan allies. Trump, labeling Afghanistan a “hell hole on earth,” confirmed the assailant’s foreign origins, stating, “Based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan.”
USCIS’s policy shift, outlined in a terse post on X (formerly Twitter), imposes an indefinite freeze on Afghan-related filings. “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” the agency declared. “The protections and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.”
As of Thursday, officials in Afghanistan had not commented on the U.S. immigration department’s decision. The move underscores ongoing debates over refugee screening processes, particularly for those fleeing the Taliban resurgence, and comes amid fresh scrutiny of Operation Allies Welcome’s implementation.
Investigators continue to probe Lakanwal’s motives and background, with preliminary reports surfacing on his alleged photo and immigration records. The White House vicinity, already a fortress of security, saw an immediate lockdown following the gunfire, highlighting vulnerabilities even in the capital’s most fortified zones.
This episode revives questions about the balance between humanitarian aid and border safeguards, as federal agencies recalibrate in the wake of tragedy. For now, thousands of pending Afghan applications hang in limbo, their fates tied to the fallout from a single, shocking act of violence.