The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced a temporary halt to the processing of all immigration requests from Afghan citizens. This decision is related to the need to complete the review of "security protocols and checks," as reported by the BBC.
On the X platform, the agency emphasized: "Our primary goal and mission is to protect the safety of our country and the American people."
This decision was a consequence of an incident in which two National Guard soldiers were seriously injured due to gunfire near the White House. The alleged shooter is an Afghan who arrived in the U.S. in September 2021.
President Donald Trump characterized the incident as a "terrorist act" and stated his intention to take measures to deport foreigners "from countries where they do not belong."
After the chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in 2021, tens of thousands of Afghans were able to enter the U.S. thanks to special immigration protective measures introduced during the administration of former President Joe Biden.
According to law enforcement, the alleged shooter is 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who came to the country under the Operation Allies Welcome program.
After the shooting, Trump noted that all foreigners arriving from Afghanistan during Biden's presidency need to undergo re-screening.
This new order adds to the existing ban on entry into the U.S. for citizens of Afghanistan and 11 other countries, which was imposed by Trump earlier this year.
Afghan citizens holding special immigration visas, which were issued to those who collaborated with American military forces before the Taliban regained power in 2021, are one of the few exceptions to the general ban.
Additionally, Trump previously ordered the termination of a program that provided protection from deportation for thousands of Afghans.
The Temporary Protected Status program allowed migrants to obtain work permits on the condition that returning to their country was deemed unsafe due to war.
