The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has made a sudden decision to pause all immigration processes involving Afghan individuals after an Afghan man was linked to a shooting incident in Washington DC that resulted in critical injuries to two National Guard members.
In an announcement on the social media platform X, USCIS stated that the processing of immigration requests for Afghan nationals is suspended indefinitely pending a thorough review of security and vetting procedures.
Emphasizing the agency’s commitment to safeguarding the homeland and the American populace, USCIS reiterated the paramount importance of security measures.
The suspected shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwa, an Afghan national, allegedly targeted the National Guard personnel on November 26, leaving them in critical condition as confirmed by FBI director Kash Patel, according to reports from the Express.
Lakanwa, aged 29, arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program initiated during the Biden administration’s tenure to evacuate and resettle numerous Afghans following the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
A relative of Lakanwa revealed to NBC News that the suspect had served alongside U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan before relocating to the U.S., having spent a decade in the Afghan Army with a portion of his service at a base in Kandahar.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration, attributing responsibility to them for Lakanwa’s arrival in the country and referencing the lack of transparency regarding the individuals brought in through the evacuation flights in September 2021.