US Halts Immigration Applications from Afghans Amid National Guard Shooting Investigation
The Trump administration has paused all immigration applications from Afghan nationals after a shooting in Washington, D.C. that left two National Guard members injured. The decision to halt processing comes as authorities investigate the suspect's background and connection to the US.
According to sources, the suspect identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal entered the country under a Biden-era initiative for Afghans called Operation Allies Welcome in 2021. He was paroled into the US on humanitarian grounds at the time, but later applied for asylum, which was granted in 2025. His application for a green card, tied to his asylum grant, is still pending.
The pause on immigration applications from Afghan nationals comes amid growing concerns about security vetting protocols. While the Biden administration has emphasized that those who entered the US underwent rigorous security vetting beforehand, some Republican officials have questioned whether the processes were thorough enough.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the halt in processing indefinitely, citing a need for further review. The pause is expected to affect tens of thousands of Afghan nationals who settled in the US under Operation Allies Welcome, many of whom qualified for Special Immigration Visas or asylum based on family ties to US citizens or green card holders.
Critics have condemned the halt, arguing that it unfairly targets Afghans who were granted entry into the country for humanitarian reasons. The nonprofit group AfghanEvac has defended the Afghan community, stating that immigrants from Afghanistan undergo some of the most extensive security vetting of any population entering the country.
The incident has sparked renewed debate about the vetting processes in place and whether they are sufficient to prevent such attacks. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen how long the halt on immigration applications will remain in place.
The Trump administration has paused all immigration applications from Afghan nationals after a shooting in Washington, D.C. that left two National Guard members injured. The decision to halt processing comes as authorities investigate the suspect's background and connection to the US.
According to sources, the suspect identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal entered the country under a Biden-era initiative for Afghans called Operation Allies Welcome in 2021. He was paroled into the US on humanitarian grounds at the time, but later applied for asylum, which was granted in 2025. His application for a green card, tied to his asylum grant, is still pending.
The pause on immigration applications from Afghan nationals comes amid growing concerns about security vetting protocols. While the Biden administration has emphasized that those who entered the US underwent rigorous security vetting beforehand, some Republican officials have questioned whether the processes were thorough enough.
The Department of Homeland Security announced the halt in processing indefinitely, citing a need for further review. The pause is expected to affect tens of thousands of Afghan nationals who settled in the US under Operation Allies Welcome, many of whom qualified for Special Immigration Visas or asylum based on family ties to US citizens or green card holders.
Critics have condemned the halt, arguing that it unfairly targets Afghans who were granted entry into the country for humanitarian reasons. The nonprofit group AfghanEvac has defended the Afghan community, stating that immigrants from Afghanistan undergo some of the most extensive security vetting of any population entering the country.
The incident has sparked renewed debate about the vetting processes in place and whether they are sufficient to prevent such attacks. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen how long the halt on immigration applications will remain in place.
this is so not right fam, like the guy got a second chance after being paroled into the US, he applied for asylum and got it, what more do you need lol? they're just picking and choosing who to let in now 
it's all about politics, they don't care about the people anymore.
it's not just about rushing in ppl, we need to make sure we're doing everything right. the fact that this guy was paroled & then applied for asylum shows there were some checks in place... i hope they get to the bottom of this investigation ASAP so we can figure out what went wrong 
. Like, what's going on with this one guy Rahmanullah Lakanwal? 
He came here for humanitarian reasons, but then he applied for asylum and now... 
.
. Like, isn't it already super strict? 
, but this pause is gonna hurt a lot of ppl 
, especially those who were granted entry under Operation Allies Welcome. It's like, they were already vetted and stuff 
... what more do we need? 
. Maybe it's a good chance for the government to review their security processes and make 'em even better 
And what about all these Afghan folks who already settled here under Operation Allies Welcome? Do they get to stay or go back out into limbo? 
i get why they wanna investigate but 20k+ people are stuck in limbo...can't even apply for green card because of some shooter's name. what if he was a security threat from day one? shouldn't have given him parole and asylum in the first place 
i'm with @AfghanEvac on this, they're saying afghans go thru most extensive vetting process but still what's the guarantee? 
; on the other, you have people who entered under humanitarian grounds 
, but to just halt all apps? That's like drawing a big red line across an entire map 
.
. We need to make sure security comes first 
. What if Rahmanullah Lakanwal's background check didn't turn up anything? 
.