The United States suspends immigration applications from Afghan citizens following the shooting of the National Guard.
Donald Trump has called the attack an "act of terror" and has vowed to redouble efforts to deport immigrants.
BarcelonaDonald Trump again attacks immigrants after An Afghan citizen shot two members of the National Guard on Wednesday. in one of the White House security perimeters. The shooter, a 29-year-old who arrived in the United States in 2021, was captured by security forces after seriously wounding two guards, who are hospitalized.
In response, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced it will suspend all immigration applications from Afghan citizens with immediate effect. All asylum processes will be frozen "pending further review of security protocols and background checks." The measure will affect both Afghans already in the country who have applied for permanent residency and those attempting to enter.
The decision goes a step further Trump's crusade against immigrantsUpon learning the suspect's nationality, he was quick to point the finger at the Afghan community. The US president called the shooting an "act of terror" and vowed to toughen measures against Afghans and redouble efforts to deport them en masse: "We now have to re-screen every alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan," he said in a video. "As President of the United States, I will make sure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the highest possible price," he added, using the term his administration uses to refer to undocumented immigrants accused of committing crimes. According to Trump, Joe Biden is responsible for allowing this individual to enter the country four years ago, as the suspect then benefited from Operation Allies Welcome, a program intended to welcome Afghans. after the United States withdrew from the countryTo avoid endangering citizens who had had dealings with American authorities after the Taliban returned to power, the program allowed them to remain in the United States for two years, but did not grant them permanent status; they had to apply for it through avenues such as asylum. Following the attack, security in Washington has been intensified. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the deployment of 500 additional troops to the U.S. capital and assured that such incidents would not be tolerated. However, it remains unclear how this will be carried out, given that last week a federal judge ordered a temporary suspension of the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, deeming it illegal. CIA Contributor
Meanwhile, information is emerging about the attacker's identity. The alleged perpetrator of the attack was reportedly a CIA collaborator, according to a Fox News report on Thursday. The American network maintains that Rahmanullah Lakanwal—the alleged attacker—was linked to several government entities, including the CIA, as a member of an associated force in Kandahar, Afghanistan. CIA Director John Ratcliffe justified Lakanwal's evacuation to the United States due to his previous work with the U.S. government, which reportedly ended "shortly after the chaotic evacuation," he added.
