The US has indefinitely paused all Afghan visas, including SIVs, after a shooting in DC. Trump orders a review of 85,000 arrivals from the 2021 withdrawal.
Sseema Giill
The Trump administration has indefinitely suspended all immigration processing for Afghan nationals, including the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for combat interpreters, effective November 27, 2025. The freeze comes in direct response to a shooting in Washington, D.C., on November 26, where an Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, critically wounded two National Guard members. President Trump, declaring the incident an "act of terror," has ordered a "rigorous reexamination" of the 85,000 Afghans who entered the U.S. during the 2021 withdrawal, effectively shutting the door on thousands of vetted allies still in the pipeline.
The suspect, Lakanwal, entered the U.S. in September 2021 via humanitarian parole, a broad category used during the chaotic evacuation. However, the administration's response targets the entire Afghan demographic, including SIV applicants who undergo years of stringent vetting. This escalation follows a series of restrictive moves, including the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 14,000 Afghans in July 2025. While previous executive orders in January had exempted SIVs, this new directive removes that shield, halting all movement.
While the headlines focus on the shooting, the deeper story is the "Attrition Trap." An "indefinite pause" is a bureaucratic death sentence for SIV applicants. Medical checks and security clearances typically expire after one year. By freezing the process for an undefined period, the administration is forcing thousands of applicants to restart their vetting from scratch—a delay many will not survive. Furthermore, the order to re-vet 85,000 people manually is logistically impossible, signaling a likely pivot to AI-driven bulk screening, where algorithms could flag families for deportation based on broad, opaque risk scores rather than individual adjudication.
This policy conflates humanitarian parolees with combat-vetted allies, erasing the distinction between a refugee and a military asset. It sends a chilling signal to future local partners in conflict zones that U.S. promises of protection are revocable based on the actions of a single individual. For the 14,000 Afghans who lost TPS in July, the visa freeze removes their last legal lifeline, leaving them deportable to a Taliban-controlled state.
If the actions of one man can nullify the service of thousands of combat allies, what is a U.S. promise worth in the next war?
Why did the US pause Afghan visas in November 2025? The administration cited national security concerns following a shooting in Washington, D.C. on November 26, where an Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, wounded two National Guard members.
Does the Afghan visa pause include SIV holders? Yes. Unlike previous restrictions, the November 27 directive explicitly halts the processing and issuance of all visa categories for Afghan nationals, including the Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) designated for interpreters and allies who served with U.S. forces.
What happens to Afghans with pending SIV applications? Processing is frozen indefinitely. Applicants outside the U.S. cannot travel, and those within the U.S. processing pipeline are stuck. Advocacy groups warn that this delay will cause medical and security clearances to expire, forcing applicants to restart the lengthy vetting process.
Who is Rahmanullah Lakanwal? Rahmanullah Lakanwal is the Afghan national accused of the November 26 shooting. He entered the U.S. in September 2021 under humanitarian parole during the evacuation efforts, not through the SIV program.
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