The move came after two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House, an incident in which police later arrested a suspect.

US officials said the man accused of opening fire on the soldiers was an Afghan national who arrived in 2021 through a resettlement program. Following the attack, USCIS announced an immediate and open-ended halt to all immigration requests tied to Afghan citizens.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has pushed a tougher immigration agenda. Late last month, he set a record low refugee admissions ceiling of 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year.