The Trump administration has ordered a complete suspension of US visa processing for all Afghan nationals globally, according to a State Department cable issued Friday. This dramatic action follows the shooting of two US National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday by an Afghan man, resulting in one death.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Details of the Suspension
- Immediate Halt: Effective immediately, all US diplomatic posts are instructed to reject immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications from Afghan nationals. This includes applicants for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, which is designed for Afghans who assisted the US military and government during the 20-year presence in Afghanistan.
- Official Rationale: The State Department cable stated the measure is necessary to “ensur[e] the applicant’s identity and eligibility for a visa under U.S. law.”
- High-Level Confirmation: Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the pause on X, stating that visa issuance for “ALL individuals” traveling on Afghan passports would be temporarily stopped.
- Processing Instructions:
- Scheduled visa appointments will still occur, but consular officers are mandated to refuse the visas.
- Any previously authorized visas that have not been printed must be reversed and canceled.
- Printed visas must be destroyed.
Context and Reaction
The cable effectively suspends the SIV program, which is highly sensitive due to the security risks faced by Afghan allies left behind.
Volunteer Group’s Response: Shawn VanDiver, president of Afghan Evac, asserted that the move is the outcome the administration “have been driving toward for months,” suggesting it is part of a broader effort to bar all Afghans from entering the US.
The suspension of visa processing follows an earlier indefinite halt by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on processing Afghan nationals’ immigration requests.
This action is aligned with the Trump administration’s aggressive post-January focus on immigration enforcement, shifting attention toward legal immigration restrictions in the wake of the DC shooting incident.
