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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Friday that it has suspended all asylum decisions following the shooting in Washington, D.C., in which an Afghan national was accused of shooting two National Guard members, including one who died from his injuries.
USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow said asylum decisions would be suspended “until we can ensure that every alien is screened and screened to the fullest extent possible.”
“The safety of the American people always comes first,” he wrote on X.
The pause comes amid a broader crackdown on immigration that the president has signaled. Donald Trumpwho on Thursday vowed to stop migration from “third world countries” and end Biden-era admissions.
National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolf, 24, were shot and killed in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. (U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Edlow said Thursday that officials will review green cards issued to immigrants from each “country of concern,” including Afghanistan. USCIS has also introduced new national security measures to consider when screening immigrants from “high-risk” countries.
“I have ordered a full and thorough re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern,” he wrote.
ATF and Secret Service officers after two National Guard soldiers were shot and killed near the White House in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, November 26, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP)
The Department of Homeland Security also said it had already stopped everything immigration requests from Afghanistan and was in the process of processing all asylum cases approved by the Biden administration.
Additionally, the State Department suspended all visas for people traveling on Afghan passports in response to the attack on National Guard members.
“The State Department has IMMEDIATELY suspended the issuance of visas to persons traveling on Afghan passports,” the agency wrote. “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect the national security and public safety of the United States.”
National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, West Virginia died after shooting on Wednesday in the nation's capital, while the second soldier wounded in the attack, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.
The alleged shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, faces numerous charges, including one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department will seek the death penalty against the suspect.
An undated photo of Rahmanullah Lakanwala, a suspect in the shooting death of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., on November 26, 2025. (Courtesy of the Ministry of Justice)
Lacanwal entered the U.S. legally in 2021 under humanitarian parole as part of the Biden administration's Operation Allies Welcome following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
He was verified by the CIA in Afghanistan for working with the agency and again for applying for asylum in the United States. A senior U.S. official told Fox News that he was “clear on all counts” during a background check.
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Earlier this year, the Trump administration approved Lakanwala's asylum application.
A report released by the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General in June said there were no “systemic failures” in vetting Afghan refugees or subsequent immigration pathways.
