State Department ‘immediately’ halts all Afghan passport visas following deadly National Guard attack
In response to a tragic shooting incident in Washington, D.C., that left one National Guard member dead and another critically injured, the U.S. Department of State has suspended all visa processing for individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the ambush. Lakanwal, who was vetted by the CIA in Afghanistan and granted asylum earlier this year under the Trump administration, has raised significant concerns about the vetting processes for immigrants from high-risk countries. This decision highlights the ongoing challenges in balancing national security with humanitarian commitments, particularly for those fleeing conflict zones like Afghanistan.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the visa suspension via social media, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to national security. However, the move has drawn criticism from organizations like AfghanEvac, a nonprofit focused on the relocation and resettlement of Afghan allies. AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver condemned the decision as a violation of federal law, suggesting that it unfairly punishes an entire community based on the actions of a single individual. This sentiment reflects a broader debate about the impact of such policies on Afghan allies who risked their lives alongside U.S. forces. The controversy was further fueled by comments from former President Trump, who questioned the effectiveness of the vetting process and suggested that the U.S. must take more stringent measures regarding asylum seekers.
The incident and subsequent visa suspension come amid a broader reassessment of immigration policies, particularly concerning countries deemed “high-risk.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph B. Edlow announced a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of green cards issued to immigrants from these countries, which include Afghanistan, Iran, and several others. This reexamination aims to address national security concerns but also raises questions about the future of the Special Immigrant Visa program that many Afghan allies rely on for safety. As the situation unfolds, the balance between safeguarding national interests and honoring commitments to vulnerable populations remains a contentious issue in U.S. immigration policy.
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.
Eric
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