The United States government has suspended the processing of all immigration applications from Afghan nationals following a shooting that injured two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday.
The decision was announced by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which said the suspension would remain in effect while authorities conduct a review of security and vetting procedures for Afghan applicants.
The action followed the arrest of a man identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, who is accused of opening fire on National Guard troops outside the Farragut Square Metro Station, less than a mile from the White House.
According to the Joint Task Force DC, the attack occurred at approximately 2:15pm local time at the corner of 17th Street NW and I Street NW, a busy commercial area in downtown Washington.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Jeff Carroll said the suspect approached the soldiers and immediately opened fire.
“The soldiers were ambushed,” Carroll said. “The suspect came around the corner and began shooting without warning.”
Two National Guard members from West Virginia were critically wounded. Their identities have not been released. Other Guard personnel in the area subdued the suspect before police arrived. Law enforcement officials said the suspect was shot four times during the arrest.
Witnesses reported scenes of panic as gunfire rang out during lunchtime foot traffic. Emergency medics were seen treating both injured troops and the suspect at the scene.
Who is the suspect
The Department of Homeland Security identified the alleged shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, describing him as “a criminal alien from Afghanistan.”
Officials said Lakanwal entered the United States in September 2021 during the Biden administration under a relocation programme for Afghan evacuees known as Operation Allies Welcome, launched after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s return to power.
Authorities confirmed he applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted legal status earlier this year. Officials said he has refused to cooperate with investigators.
No motive has yet been confirmed. Federal authorities are investigating the case as possible terrorism, though no links to extremist groups have been publicly established.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, described the shooting as “an act of terror” and blamed earlier immigration policies for allowing the suspect into the country.
“This tragedy underscores the risk of uncontrolled immigration,” Trump said. “Every person who came from Afghanistan under the previous administration will now be re-examined.”
Within hours, the White House ordered an immediate halt on Afghan immigration processing. Trump also reiterated support for a travel ban covering Afghanistan and 11 other countries, introduced earlier this year. Only holders of Special Immigration Visas including former US military translators and contractors remain exempt.
Trump also announced the cancellation of Temporary Protected Status for many Afghan nationals, ending work permits and protections from deportation for thousands.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the president ordered the deployment of 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington. The city already had approximately 2,200 Guard members stationed following an August deployment aimed at increasing patrols in response to crime.
“These attacks will not weaken us,” Hegseth said. “They will strengthen our commitment to restoring safety in the capital.”
The administration is also appealing a court order that recently sought to limit the use of Guard troops in civilian policing roles.
Tens of thousands of Afghans were allowed into the United States following the collapse of the former Afghan government. Many had worked with US forces.
Civil rights groups expressed concern that the response could unfairly target law-abiding refugees, while others supported a review of screening procedures.
Investigators have not confirmed whether the suspect acted alone or if further threats exist.
Both injured soldiers remain hospitalized in critical condition.
