US State Department stops processing visas for Afghan allies

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered its diplomats worldwide to stop processing visas for Afghan nationals, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters, effectively suspending the special immigration program for Afghans who helped the United States during its 20-year-long occupation of their home country.



The cable, sent to all U.S. diplomatic posts on Friday, says that effective immediately, consular officers are instructed to reject any immigrant or non-immigrant visa applications from Afghan nationals including applicants for Special Immigrant Visas.



On Wednesday, a former member of one of Afghanistan's CIA-backed units was accused of shooting two U.S. National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C. One of them later died.



The State Department on Saturday referred Reuters to a statement on platform X by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday in which he said that "ALL individuals" traveling on Afghan passports would have their visa issuance "paused."