The United States announced the suspension of all immigration applications from citizens of Afghanistan, after an Afghan man was identified as a suspect in the attack, on Wednesday (November 26), on two members of the National Guard in Washington.
The measure was announced on the official account of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and has “immediate effect”.
According to the publication, all asylum processes will remain suspended “pending a further review of security protocols and background checks”.
Before the announcement, Trump tightened his anti-immigration rhetoric toward Afghan citizens and called the attack on National Guard troops in Washington DC “an act of terror.”
He also held former President Joe Biden directly responsible, recalling that the suspect entered the country in 2021 under a program that sought to welcome Afghans after the Taliban returned to power.
“We now have to re-examine all foreigners who entered our country from Afghanistan,” said the Republican in an official video released by the White House.
After the attack, Secretary of State for War Pete Hegseth stated that these types of incidents “will not be tolerated”, especially as they occurred “just steps from the White House”.
Hegseth announced the deployment of 500 additional troops to the US capital.
Local authorities are still investigating the attack, and the two injured soldiers remain in a delicate condition in different medical institutions.