Effective immediately, the processing of all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals has been halted indefinitely, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on its official X account on Thursday. 

The post further stated that the protection and safety of the United States and its people remains their singular focus and mission.

President Donald Trump On Shooting Near White House

US President Donald Trump denounced the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House and described the act as terror and a crime against humanity. Briefing the media, Trump said that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who came from Afghanistan on a 2021 airlift and called the country a “hellhole”.

“This was a heinous assault and an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity,” he said.

Trump confirmed the suspect is in custody, who is from Afghanistan.

“I can report tonight that based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan- a hellhole on earth,” Trump said.