The Trump administration has halted all immigration applications from Afghan nationals, according to a statement from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The agency announced on X that processing of these requests has been put on hold indefinitely while it reviews security and vetting protocols.

The decision comes after a shooting in Washington, D.C., which critically injured two West Virginia National Guard members. The suspect in this incident is an Afghan national who arrived in the U.S. in 2021 under former President Joe Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome” program, designed to support vulnerable Afghan refugees following the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” the USCIS stated in a post on X.

The agency emphasized that protecting the homeland and American people remains its top priority.

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