National Guard shooting: US suspends processing immigration requests from Afghan nationals
The US has suspended processing all immigration requests from Afghan nationals with immediate effect on Wednesday night following a shooting in DC that critically injured two West Virginia National Guard members.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said in a social media post that "Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.
"The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission," the USCIS said.
The Trump administration said on Wednesday that it had stopped processing immigration applications from Afghanistan, hours after officials in Washington detained an Afghan man they said had shot two National Guard troops near the White House, the New York Times reported.
The motive behind the targeted shooting is yet to be ascertained, Jeffrey Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.
President Trump has declared the attack on the National Guard members an "act of terror," and, according to the New York Times, used the shooting to repeat anti-immigrant rhetoric.
The Trump administration plans a review of all refugees admitted to the US during the Biden administration, according to a memo obtained Monday by The Associated Press, in the latest blow against a program that has for decades welcomed people fleeing war and persecution into the country.
The AP report further said that the review is likely to sow confusion and fear among the nearly 200,000 refugees who came to the United States during that period. It is likely to face legal challenges from advocates, some of whom said the move was part of the administration’s “cold-hearted treatment” of people trying to build new lives in the US
The memo, signed by the director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, and dated Friday, said that during the Biden years “expediency” and “quantity” were prioritized over “detailed screening and vetting.” The memo said that warranted a comprehensive review and “re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025.”
The memo indicated that there will be a list of people to re-interview within three months.
The memo also immediately suspended green card approvals for refugees who came to the US during the stated time period, The Associated Press reported.