US halts visas and asylum reviews after DC shooting triggers major security crackdown

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration on Friday (local time) intensified immigration restrictions, rolling out a series of heightened security measures following a State Department directive that temporarily halts visa issuance for all travellers holding Afghan passports.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision in a post on the social media platform X, stating, “President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals travelling on Afghan passports”. He added, “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people”.

President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports.

The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people. https://t.co/HuR1Lj7F9t

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) November 28, 2025

The announcement followed an earlier statement from the Department of State, which said, “The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” adding that “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety”.

Hours later, the administration expanded its security actions by ordering an immediate halt to all asylum rulings nationwide. Officials described the decision as part of a broader response to Wednesday’s shooting near the White House that left two National Guard soldiers critically injured.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow confirmed that asylum officers have been directed to stop issuing decisions until enhanced vetting can be completed for every applicant. “This pause will stay in place until we can ensure that every alien is properly vetted. The safety of the American people always comes first”, he said in a statement posted on X.

USCIS has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible. The safety of the American people always comes first.

— USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow (@USCISJoe) November 28, 2025

The shooting, allegedly carried out by 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021, has prompted the administration to review previous immigration approvals. Lakanwal, who had been granted asylum earlier this year, is accused of shooting Specialist Sarah Beckstrom (20), who later died, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe (24), who remains in critical condition.

Following the incident, the government began reassessing asylum approvals issued under the Biden administration and launched a review of green card applications from nationals of 19 countries previously flagged under a presidential proclamation on security risks.

President Trump outlined further actions in a late-night post on Truth Social, saying the US would halt migration from poorer nations and revoke citizenship for individuals he believes threaten domestic stability. He also said foreign nationals deemed security risks or “non-compatible with Western Civilization” would be deported.

Intensifying his message, Trump called for what he described as “REVERSE MIGRATION,” arguing that millions of legally present immigrants were worsening social and economic pressures. “Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” he wrote, ending with a Thanksgiving note that excluded those he claimed “hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for”. (ANI)