Afghan immigrants and advocacy groups nationwide are condemning the Trump administration’s broad immigration measures introduced after a shooting in Washington, D.C., which officials say involved a 29-year-old Afghan evacuee. USCIS has paused asylum decisions and frozen applications from 19 travel-ban countries, ordered rechecks of previously granted statuses, and shortened certain work-permit periods. Advocates say these actions punish whole communities — including many who aided US forces — and have left thousands of families in legal limbo. Officials defend the changes as necessary security steps following vetting gaps after the 2021 evacuation.
‘They Fought for American Values’: Afghan Communities Push Back Against Trump Immigration Crackdown
An event promoting the Afghan Adjustment Act, on 20 October 2022 in Thornton, Colorado.Photograph: The Washington Post/Getty Images
Afghan immigrants and advocacy groups across the United States are urgently pushing back after the Trump administration introduced sweeping immigration changes following a shooting in Washington, D.C. Officials identified a 29-year-old Afghan evacuee as the suspect, and the administration has since paused asylum decisions and frozen applications from nationals of 19 countries covered by its travel ban — moves resettled Afghans and advocates say unfairly punish entire communities.
Policy Changes and Community Reaction
The administration directed US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to pause asylum decisions, halted visa and immigration applications filed by Afghans, and suspended processing for nationals of the 19 travel-ban countries — a freeze that even affects citizenship ceremonies. Officials also ordered re-examinations of immigrants granted legal status during the Biden administration and shortened the validity period for some work permits, including those issued to asylum-seekers and refugees.
“The attacker hasn’t been put on trial, but the whole Afghan community has been labeled as guilty,” said Yahya Haqiqi, president of the Afghan Support Network in the US. “There are folks that came here because they fought for American values in Afghanistan, and because of the action of one individual, they and the whole community are being harmed.”
Personal Stories
Many Afghans interviewed by the Guardian condemned the killing of National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom and expressed sympathy for the wounded guardsman, Andrew Wolfe. Yet they say the policy changes are needlessly creating fear and uncertainty for thousands of families who aided US forces or sought refuge.
Shir Agha Safi, an ex-intelligence officer who worked alongside US forces, arrived under Operation Allies Welcome and applied for a green card through the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. “I agree with re-examining green cards — but the government should prioritize and recognize those who served the US mission,” he said. Safi now leads Afghan Partners in Iowa, where about 500 Afghan families settled after the 2021 evacuations.
Another asylum-seeker, identified as Freshta, said her asylum application — submitted in early 2023 — has been put on hold. “I came here the legal way because I thought I could pursue my dreams as an Afghan woman,” she said. “If I speak the language, pay taxes and integrate, what else can I do? I want a normal life with dignity.”
Government Rationale
Administration officials argue the measures are necessary for national security. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said the changes strengthen vetting with mandatory biometric enrollment, expanded social-media and background checks, and annual in-person reporting. Officials cited vetting gaps after the chaotic 2021 withdrawal: a 2022 inspector general report found the National Counterterrorism Center had not used Department of Defense biometric data when vetting evacuees.
Scale and Consequences
About 80,000 Afghans were admitted under humanitarian parole through Operation Allies Welcome; by 2022 roughly 200,000 Afghans were living in the US, concentrated in California, Virginia, Texas and New York. Between January and March 2025, more than 10,000 Afghans sought SIV approvals, a process now halted. Advocates warn the asylum pause could affect roughly 1.5 million applicants awaiting decisions, and there are reports of stepped-up ICE apprehensions and some detentions in Afghan communities after the policy changes.
Voices From Across the Country
Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, cautioned against collective blame: “Although there’s no excuse for what happened, it’s also not fair to cast blame on an entire group of people who are doing the best they can to integrate into our communities and follow the American dream.”
As Afghan communities and legal advocates scramble for clarity on how long the restrictions will last and how they will be applied, many families face immediate legal limbo and growing fear about their futures in the United States.
