Measures against immigration are becoming increasingly strict in the United States, and they have been further reinforced following the incident that occurred on November 26, 2025, in Washington. According to information provided by the executive deputy director of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, Jeffrey Carroll, a man shot two National Guard soldiers at the intersection of 17th and I NW streets, causing the death of Sarah Beckstrom, one of these soldiers. The main suspect in the shooting turned out to be an Afghan citizen, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, which is why Donald Trump and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have implemented new restrictions on immigration procedures.
These new measures include the suspension of procedures for the Afghan community, immediately halting immigration applications, pending Green Card processes, for migrants coming from concerning countries, which include Afghanistan, Burma, the Republic of Congo, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Cuba, Yemen, Venezuela, among many others. The review of asylum applications is also suspended. According to CBS News, this affects all asylum applications, including those initiated through Biden’s resettlement initiative. It will also impact tax benefits, which will be reduced, as announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. This will include increased monitoring of cross-border fund transfers, such as remittances, which has been announced by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
Shooting at National Guard soldiers in Washington
On November 26, 2025, a shooting took place just a few meters from the White House, at the intersection of 17th and I NW streets. According to Jeffrey Carroll, the deputy executive of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, it occurred at 2:15 p.m., when a man appeared on a corner, raised his weapon, and fired at two National Guard soldiers, killing one of the soldiers, Sarah Beckstrom, and sending the other soldier to the hospital in critical condition.
The initial information published on X by Patrick Morrisey, governor of West Virginia, mistakenly announced that both soldiers had died, creating even more chaos and unease, before correcting it by stating there were conflicting reports. A suspect in the shooting, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, was finally apprehended, which led Donald Trump and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to implement new restrictive measures in U.S. immigration procedures.
New measures
According to Trump on his Truth Social profile, these 5 new measures aim for the “U.S. system to fully recover.” The new measures are:
Suspension of procedures for the Afghan community
According to USCIS, all immigration applications for Afghan citizens are indefinitely halted. “Effective immediately, the processing of all immigration applications related to Afghan citizens is suspended pending a more thorough review of security and investigation protocols,” it reported.
Review of green cards for migrants from “concerning countries”
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow announced a “large-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card” issued to migrants from concerning countries. According to information published by CNN, the “concerning countries” for the United States continue to be those included in the presidential proclamation:
- Afghanistan.
- Myanmar.
- Chad.
- Republic of the Congo.
- Equatorial Guinea.
- Eritrea.
- Haiti.
- Iran.
- Libya.
- Somalia.
- Sudan.
- Yemen.
- Burundi.
- Cuba.
- Laos.
- Sierra Leone.
- Togo.
- Turkmenistan.
- Venezuela.
Suspension of Review of Asylum Applications
According to Edlow, decisions on asylum applications will be halted until each case is “inspected and investigated to the highest possible level.” According to CBS News, this includes asylum applications submitted by Afghans who arrived through Biden’s resettlement initiative.
Cut in tax Benefits
Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary, also announced that the government will cut tax benefits for immigrants with irregular status in the United States. “Financial services companies must be alert to identifying suspicious financial activities involving undocumented immigrants that pose significant threats to national and public security,” stated the Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John K. Hurley.
Remittance review
The monitoring of cross-border money transfers, such as remittances, will be increased, as announced by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).