The Donald Trump administration had already decided to re-interview all those who got asylum between 2021 and 2025 during the Biden administration, before the DC shooting took place. Now the process will speed up as the shooting suspect has been identified as an Afghan refugee Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who worked for the CIA in past, was evacuated from the country and let inside the US. According to govt records, he was granted asylum in 2025, acting on his application of 2024. Appearing on FOX News, Stephen Miller said the immigration status of every single person added to the US over the last four years will be reviewed, and a rough number would be 20 million. The warning came as the administration immediately put a halt to any immigration requests from Afghanistan. But what Stephen Miller said hinted at a wider crackdown beyond people from Afghanistan and beyond the specific immigration status. “Now if you’re an illegal you’re out automatically, but everybody else who was brought here refugee-, asylum- status whatever status, as he said, if you’re not someone who loves this country if you’re not any benefit to this country we’re going to send you out of this country,” Stephen Miller told Fox News.
Trump pulls plus on Afghan immigration; 235,000 Green Cards already halted
Nationals from war-torn countries can claim refugee status in the US. Between 2021 and 2024, US allowed people from Congo, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, Venezuela and Ukraine to come to the US once they proved that they faced persecution in their countries. The refugee status makes immigrants legal in the US; they can live and work in the US legally and also apply for a Green Card after they live in the US for one year. “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” USCIS said after the National Guard shooting.
