US Government Suspends Visa Issuance for Afghan Nationals After Fatal DC National Guard ShootingThe US government suspended all visa issuance for Afghan passport holders and halted asylum processing indefinitely on November 28, 2025, following a deadly shooting of National Guard members near the White House by an Afghan national. �� This security-driven pause impacts over 100,000 pending cases from the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation, prioritizing re-vetting amid public safety threats. ��Shooting Incident and Suspect BackgroundRahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan who entered the US in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome and received asylum in 2025, allegedly shot Specialist Sarah Beckstrom (killed) and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe (critically injured) on November 26. �� President Trump called it a "terrorist act," ordering reviews of Biden-era Afghan entries and stricter immigration controls. ��Scope of Visa and Asylum FreezeUSCIS stopped all immigration requests from Afghans, including Special Immigrant Visas for US collaborators and Temporary Protected Status, pending enhanced security protocols. �� The State Department cited national protection needs, with limited exceptions under prior proclamations affecting multiple countries. ��Reactions and Policy ContextAfghan advocates lament the closure of their primary resettlement path post-Taliban takeover, as Trump expands bans on "Third World" migration from 19 nations. �� This aligns with earlier 2025 restrictions and ongoing debates over vetting rigor for 85,000+ resettled Afghans. ��