December 2025 — Washington, D.C.

In an unprecedented escalation of his immigration crackdown, President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the immediate nationwide pause of all asylum adjudications and a complete halt to visas for Afghan nationals. The move follows Wednesday’s shooting of two National Guard members near the White House, allegedly committed by 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. under a temporary Biden-era program designed for Afghans fleeing Taliban rule.

The attack—with one Guardsman dead and the other critically wounded—has triggered a storm of policy responses from the White House, DHS, and the State Department. The orders represent one of the most sweeping restrictions on the U.S. asylum system since its creation in 1980.

What Exactly Did the Administration Announce?

1. USCIS Pauses ALL Asylum Decisions Nationwide

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow announced:

“We have halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”

This freeze applies to:

People filing affirmative asylum claims inside the U.S.

Pending interviews and decisions

Individuals already residing legally but seeking protection based on persecution claims

In other words, everything stops—even for applicants who have lived in the U.S. for years.

This is a dramatic expansion of Trump’s first-day border shutdown, which blocked most new asylum seekers from entering through the southern border.

2. State Department Freezes ALL Visa Processing for Afghans

A State Department cable—verified by The New York Times—instructed all U.S. embassies and consulates:

Do not process any visas for Afghan passport holders

Destroy any approved visas not yet handed to applicants

Suspend the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for Afghan allies

This includes:

Interpreters who fought alongside U.S. troops

Embassy workers

Contractors

Human-rights advocates

All of whom underwent years of background checks.

Critics are sounding alarms:

“Secretary Rubio is attempting to shut down the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program in direct violation of federal law and standing court orders.”
— Shawn VanDiver, AfghanEvac

The move effectively blocks every remaining legal pathway for Afghans to reach the United States.

The Trigger: D.C. Shooting and Immigration Fallout

Authorities say the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived through a Biden-era parole program and was granted asylum in April 2025.

Trump seized on this almost immediately, calling the attack:

“The clearest example of the danger from unvetted foreigners entering our country.”

Within 48 hours, the administration announced:

Afghan visa freeze

Asylum pause

Green-card review for nationals from 19 previously banned countries

Reevaluation of asylum grants issued under the Biden administration

This marks the most aggressive immigration shift since Trump’s 2017 Muslim ban.

Legal Questions Ahead: Can Trump Do This?

Experts say the administration is entering legally murky territory.

The president has broad authority under:

INA §212(f) to suspend entry of foreign nationals

National security emergency powers

Visa issuance discretion

But pausing ALL asylum decisions raises:

Due process concerns

Violations of the Refugee Act of 1980, which mandates access to asylum

Potential conflict with federal court orders

Multiple immigration attorneys told USA TODAY and NYT they expect immediate lawsuits.

Human Impact: Afghans Are Now Trapped

Afghans face a unique crisis:

1. Refugee admissions for Afghans were already frozen months ago.

The Biden-era resettlement pipeline had already been shut down under Trump’s earlier orders.

2. The June 2025 19-country travel ban included Afghanistan.

But SIV applicants were exempt—until now.

3. There is no longer ANY legal avenue for Afghans to come to the U.S.

Even:

Translators

U.S. Embassy workers

Women’s-rights activists

are now blocked.

4. Diplomats are instructed to literally DESTROY printed visas.

This is one of the most extreme visa actions ever issued.

A System Already in Crisis

USCIS was already drowning:

1 million pending asylum cases (as of Oct. 2023)

Overwhelmed by record border encounters

Understaffed and underfunded

Average processing time: 4–7 years

Now the system is completely frozen with no timeline for resumption.

Political and International Fallout

Domestically

Republicans praise it as tough but necessary

Democrats call it “fear-based policy” and accuse Trump of collective punishment

Afghan-American groups say it endangers allies who risked their lives

Internationally

NATO partners express concern

Afghan civil-society leaders call it a betrayal

Humanitarian groups warn of a refugee catastrophe

Bottom Line

Trump’s asylum freeze and Afghan visa halt mark a turning point in U.S. immigration policy:

The asylum system is frozen.

Afghan visas are stopped.

SIV allies are cut off.

Green cards for 19 countries are under review.

Legal battles loom.

This is the most dramatic immigration shift since the original 2017 travel ban—and its consequences will reverberate for years, both in the United States and for Afghans abroad.