U.S. Pauses Afghan Visas Following Fatal Shooting of National Guard Member

The United States has temporarily halted visa issuance for holders of Afghan passports, the Department of State announced on X on Saturday.

“The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals travelling on Afghan passports,” the statement said, adding that the move is intended to safeguard U.S. national security and public safety.

The decision comes after a U.S. Army National Guard member, Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, was killed in Washington, D.C., by an Afghan national. Beckstrom, 20, and fellow Guard member Andrew Wolfe, 24, were part of a deployment to curb rising crime in the capital. The attacker, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who arrived in the U.S. in 2021, allegedly drove across the country before opening fire with a revolver. Lakanwal was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and faces charges including assault with intent to kill.

In response to the incident, former President Donald Trump issued a strongly worded statement calling for an immediate halt to immigration from “all Third World Countries,” arguing that refugee and migrant populations contribute to social and economic strain in the United States.