Washington (TDI): The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced late Wednesday that it is suspending all immigration processing for Afghan nationals indefinitely, after two National Guard soldiers were critically wounded in a shooting near the White House.
President Donald Trump called the incident “an act of terror,” noting that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, came to the United States from Afghanistan in 2021. The attack comes amid Trump’s push for a review of Afghan immigrants who entered the country during the Biden administration.
In a statement on social media platform X, USCIS emphasized, “The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.”
The shooting occurred earlier Wednesday around 2:15 pm ET near 17th and I streets, just a few blocks from the White House. Officials described the incident as a targeted ambush against two National Guard soldiers assigned to a high-visibility patrol. After an exchange of gunfire, other troops subdued the shooter, who sustained gunshot wounds.
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Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national from Washington State, entered the US under a special visa program for Afghans who had assisted American forces in Afghanistan and faced potential reprisals from the Taliban. Authorities said he overstayed his visa and was living in the country illegally.
Trump, who was at his Palm Beach resort ahead of Thanksgiving, called the shooter an “animal” and noted that he had been “severely wounded.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that an additional 500 National Guard troops would be deployed to Washington, joining roughly 2,200 already stationed in the city as part of ongoing federal security operations.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene near Farragut Square, a popular area with office workers and restaurants. Pedestrians fled as gunfire rang out, and two soldiers were seen on the ground as fellow troops tried to resuscitate them. One soldier was later carried away on a stretcher with an automated compression system attached to his chest.
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The two wounded soldiers, members of the West Virginia National Guard, remain in critical condition at local hospitals, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. Authorities said the shooter appeared to have acted alone.
National Guard contingents from multiple states, including D.C., Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama, have been stationed in Washington since August, a move that drew criticism from local officials and Democrats.
Trump has repeatedly credited the Guard deployment for reducing crime in the capital, though local police statistics do not fully support this claim.
