U.S. Freezes Afghan Immigration Cases After Washington Shooting, Leaving Thousands in Limbo

The United States has indefinitely halted all immigration and resettlement processing for Afghan nationals following a shooting near the White House in which an Afghan man critically injured two National Guard soldiers. The move, announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has devastated tens of thousands of Afghans who have spent years waiting for resettlement decisions — many of them sheltering in Pakistan after fleeing Taliban persecution. President Donald Trump labelled the attack “an act of terror” and ordered a review of Afghans who entered the country during Joe Biden’s administration.

For Afghans stranded abroad, the freeze has closed what they believed was their final path to safety. “If I go back, you will hear news of my arrest or my death,” said Ahmad Samim Naimi, a former TV presenter and government adviser who escaped Taliban crackdowns. Pakistan — where many Afghans await U.S. decisions — has intensified deportations and detentions, even targeting individuals with valid visas or UN refugee documents. With the Taliban insisting Afghanistan is now safe, rights groups warn that former officials, journalists, and women face severe threats under the regime.

Advocacy groups say the suspension punishes thousands for a single individual’s actions. Shawn VanDiver of AfghanEvac said around 200,000 Afghans have already been safely resettled in the U.S. after rigorous vetting, while another 265,000 remain in processing pipelines abroad. Many, including those under priority categories P1 and P2 due to their work with the U.S. government or U.S.-funded organisations, now fear for their lives as they wait in Pakistan, Qatar, North Macedonia, or even inside Afghanistan. “These folks don’t deserve this,” VanDiver said. “They’re just trying to get their shot at the American dream.”

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