State Department ‘immediately’ halts all Afghan passport visas following deadly National Guard attack
In a significant policy shift, the Department of State has announced a pause on all visa issuances for individuals traveling on Afghan passports, following a tragic shooting incident in Washington, D.C. The attack, which occurred on Wednesday, targeted National Guard members and resulted in the death of West Virginia National Guard Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and left U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe critically injured. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, has been charged with first-degree murder. Lakanwal had reportedly been vetted by the CIA and granted asylum earlier this year under the Trump administration, raising questions about the vetting processes for Afghan refugees.
In the wake of this incident, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the visa pause, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to national security. He stated on social media, “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people.” However, this decision has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups, particularly AfghanEvac, a nonprofit focused on relocating Afghan allies. The organization’s president, Shawn VanDiver, condemned the move as a violation of federal law and a punitive measure against a community that has already faced significant challenges. He accused the administration of using the actions of one individual to justify a broader crackdown on Afghan refugees, which could have severe implications for those seeking safety and stability in the U.S.
The timing of this announcement coincides with heightened scrutiny of the vetting process for immigrants, particularly after former President Trump remarked on the incident, suggesting that the vetting system was inadequate. He expressed concerns about the mental health of some asylum seekers and the difficulties associated with repatriating individuals once they have entered the country. In response, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph B. Edlow indicated that there would be a comprehensive reexamination of green cards issued to immigrants from “high-risk” countries, including Afghanistan. This development raises broader questions about the future of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program and the ongoing challenges faced by Afghan nationals seeking refuge in the United States. As the situation unfolds, the implications for Afghan refugees and the policies governing their resettlement remain uncertain, highlighting the need for a balanced approach that prioritizes both national security and humanitarian obligations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDghpaE4WjU
The Department of State has paused all visas for individuals traveling on
Afghan passports
after an attack in Washington, D.C., Wednesday targeting National Guard members.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national, was charged with first-degree murder among other counts related to the ambush, which has since claimed the life of West Virginia National Guard Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.
Lakanwal was vetted by the CIA in Afghanistan and granted final asylum approval under President
Donald Trump’s
administration earlier this year, multiple sources told Fox News Digital.
“The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” the agency wrote in an announcement on social media. “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.”
LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONDING AFTER 2 NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS SHOT NEAR WHITE HOUSE
Secretary of State
Marco Rubio
also took to X to share the news.
“President Trump’s
State Department
has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” Rubio wrote in a post. “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people.”
U.S.-based Afghanistan allies relocation and resettlement nonprofit AfghanEvac denounced Friday’s decision, calling the administration’s move a “violation of federal law.”
“It appears Secretary Rubio is attempting to shut down the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program in direct violation of federal law and standing court orders. He is seemingly acting at the direction of President Trump and Stephen Miller, and there is no doubt this is the outcome they have been driving toward for months,” AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver said in a statement.
“They are using a single violent individual as cover for a policy they have long planned, turning their own intelligence failures into an excuse to punish an entire community and the veterans who served alongside them.”
VANCE’S PAST WARNINGS REIGNITE AFTER AFGHAN NATIONAL NAMED AS SUSPECT IN DC GUARD SHOOTING
The new policy comes less than a day after the media questioned Trump about how the attack could have taken place after successful vetting.
“I mean, he went nuts, and that happens. It happens too often with these people,” Trump told reporters from his
Mar-a-Lago club in Florida
. “There was no vetting or anything. … We have a lot of others in this country, and we’re going to get them out, but they go cuckoo. Something happens to them.”
Trump noted “when it comes to asylum, when they’re flown in, it’s very hard to get them out. No matter how you want to do it, it’s very hard to get them out. But we’re going to be getting them all out now.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph B. Edlow also announced Thursday that, at Trump’s direction, there would be a ”
full-scale, rigorous reexamination
” of every green card issued to immigrants from “every country of concern.”
The 19 countries deemed “high-risk” by the USCIS include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
