US President Donald Trump said the status of all Afghan citizens admitted under the previous Biden administration will be reviewed, citing a November 26 attack by an Afghan national on National Guard members who died of their injuries in a hospital.
Points of attention
- The shooting near the White House was attributed to an Afghan national, triggering Trump to demand a review of Afghan citizens admitted during the Biden administration.
- Trump orders a ban on Afghan citizens entering the US following the incident, emphasizing the need to prioritize national security and vetting protocols.
- The Trump administration has suspended immigration applications for Afghan citizens indefinitely, highlighting concerns over homeland protection and the safety of American citizens.
Trump orders ban on Afghan citizens entering US
Trump's words came after he said that the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington is likely an Afghan citizen who entered the country in September 2021. That is, a month after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
We are not going to tolerate this kind of law and order abuse by people who have no place in our country. We must now review every foreigner who entered... from Afghanistan under Biden. And we must take all necessary steps to ensure the deportation of any foreigner from any country who does not belong in our country and is not of benefit to our country.
Donald Trump
President of the United States
CBS notes that Trump spoke after the publication received an internal federal government memo dated November 21 on Tuesday.
It said the Trump administration had instructed immigration officials to review the cases of all refugees admitted under former President Joe Biden.
In a memo, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow instructed agency officials to investigate and possibly re-interview refugees who entered the country between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025.
According to federal statistics, about 233,000 refugees arrived in the United States between February 2021 and January 2025.
It has now become public knowledge that the Trump administration has suspended the processing of all immigration applications for citizens of Afghanistan after an armed attack on two National Guard soldiers on Wednesday.
Moreover, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services clarified that the suspension of applications is indefinite.
All immigration applications involving citizens of Afghanistan are being suspended indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols. The protection and safety of our homeland and the American people remains our primary goal and mission.
Two U.S. National Guard members were wounded in a shooting in Washington, D.C., on the afternoon of November 26. The shooting occurred near the Farragut subway station, a few blocks from the White House. They later died in hospital.
According to CNN, the FBI believes they have identified the shooter. After fingerprinting, law enforcement officers received the suspect's name. He turned out to be 29-year-old Afghan citizen Rahmanullah Lakanwal. However, additional checks are still being conducted.
Earlier, Trump wrote on his social media that the "animal" who opened fire on the National Guard will be punished.
