On December 1, in an official announcement to the media, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Trump administration is taking drastic steps to tighten domestic security.
Accordingly, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has used his special authority to review and revoke visas for immigrants who are legally residing in the US but have been identified as a potential risk to the country.
The White House representative emphasized the current administration's tough stance that individuals who are subject to this visa denial "never leave and should be allowed to enter the country from the beginning".
Ms. Leavitt also affirmed that the US State Department has been significantly tightening the visa appraisal process to close the loopholes in screening and prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future.
The strong move comes as the US remains shocked by the shooting on November 26, in a sensitive location just about 300 meters from the White House.
Suspect in the attack, who opened fire, injured two National Guard soldiers, then killed one, was identified as an Afghanistan citizen.
It is noteworthy that the suspect has illegally entered the US since 2021 under the resettlement program for allies. US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed that the subject had arrived in the US during the chaotic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan under the previous administration.
The incident sparked a wave of strong criticism of the quality of the security screening process at that time, raising a big question about how many similar risks had fallen into the security "grid".
The decision to revoke the visa is part of a series of measures to reform the extensive immigration system of the Trump administration.
The US Department of Immigration and Citizenship (USCIS) has previously announced a temporary halt to handling new applications for asylum. President Trump also announced plans to deport newly arrived seekers and consider stopping receiving immigrants from specific countries.
As for Afghanistan citizens, Rubio said the US is temporarily suspending the issuance of new visas to serve the comprehensive security review.
