Within the wake of the tragic capturing of two Nationwide Guard members on November 26, 2025, certainly one of whom has succumbed, Trump makes use of her loss of life as a pretext to go after hundreds of thousands who had nothing to do with this assault. The alleged suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was paroled into the US from Afghanistan as a part of Operation Allies Welcome. This program evacuated and resettled tens of 1000’s of susceptible Afghans following the US army withdrawal and the Taliban takeover of the nation. Lakanwal utilized for political asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in 2025.
Trump has now solid a shadow on not simply Afghans who’ve come to the US, however on all immigrants together with lawful everlasting residents and even individuals who have naturalized. One particular person’s actions do in no way justify the suspension of immigration advantages for all Afghan nationals and the imposition of draconian immigration restrictions. We must always chorus from scapegoating and tainting a whole immigrant neighborhood even when Trump is indulging in it. This kind of racial profiling creates uncertainty and worry to Afghans who helped the US army at nice threat to their lives. It additionally does a disservice to noncitizens who’ve immigrated and are contributing to the US.
Trump posted this on X in a late evening screed on the eve of Thanksgiving:
Trump’s escalating immigration insurance policies within the wake of the capturing embrace:
- Pausing all asylum choices
- Stopped issuing visas to folks from Afghanistan
- Reviewing inexperienced playing cards issued to folks from international locations of concern
- Threatening to finish migration from third world international locations and revoke citizenship from some naturalized residents
The USCIS is utilizing the international locations that had been included within the Presidential Proclamation of 6/10/2025 banning their nationals as adverse elements when adjudicating advantages. The Proclamation was issued below INA 212(f) which speaks to the entry of aliens that may be detrimental to the pursuits of the USA. If USCIS depends on INA 212(f) to disclaim advantages to nationals of those international locations who’re already within the US, versus these looking for entry into the US, it shouldn’t apply as these noncitizens are already within the US. The USCIS’s denial based mostly on one’s nation of nationality below the Proclamation might be challenged in courtroom as an inappropriate reliance of INA 212(f). Though the USCIS has broad discretion in adjudicating immigration advantages corresponding to adjustment of standing purposes, even a blatantly discriminatory coverage as denying advantages solely based mostly on one’s nationality would possibly face up to a courtroom problem. Sadly, Congress has precluded challenges to denials of discretionary reduction below INA 242(a)(2)(B). So, it could be tough however not unimaginable to problem the USCIS coverage as even discretionary denials can’t be blatantly discriminatory.
We now have identified in early March 2025 that Trump’s insurance policies in direction of noncitizens had been merciless and had no rational justification besides to harass and intimidate noncitizens. Simply previous to the shootings too, the coverage of detaining spouses of US residents who seem for his or her adjustment of standing interviews at USCIS workplaces was the unkindest reduce of all of them. This has been occurring on the USICS workplace in San Diego, and we hope it doesn’t unfold to different USCIS workplaces. The legislation permits the partner of a US citizen, together with different fast family members of US residents corresponding to minor youngsters and oldsters to regulate standing within the US below INA 245(a). They’re eligible for adjustment of standing even when the underlying customer standing has expired. Many of the occasions the customer standing expires after the adjustment of standing software has been filed and is processed at a glacial tempo. That is past the applicant’s management. Now Trump’s ICE brokers with masks seem at an adjustment of standing interview to detain the unsuspecting partner who’s all set to regulate standing and grow to be a everlasting resident. The partner would nonetheless grow to be a everlasting resident whereas in elimination proceedings earlier than an Immigration Decide, however what a colossal waste of taxpayer cash and unnecessary trauma for the household and youngsters. The one rationale behind this coverage is to inflict cruelty, designed and carried out by both xenophobic or sadistic officers below Trump, or a mix of each, who don’t have any sympathy or compassion in direction of people who find themselves immigrating to the US legally below the INA and to unite with US residents they love.
There was a darkish historical past within the US ensuing within the scapegoating of immigrants in occasions of disaster. A current instance was the restrictions imposed on noncitizens after the September 11, 2001 assault, which included the NSEERS program that resulted in non secular, racial and ethnic profiling (see Have We Discovered the Classes of Historical past? World Warfare II Japanese Internment and Immediately’s Secret Detentions by Stanley Mark, Suzette Brooks Masters and Cyrus D. Mehta). The fragile stability we attempt to realize as a nation between liberty and safety inevitably suggestions in direction of safety, and civil liberties are usually compromised. Whereas there can by no means be a justification to go after immigrants in a time of real disaster, Trump has manufactured a disaster to justify his administration’s wantonly merciless assaults on immigrants and now will use the shootings of the Nationwide Guard members to additional limit immigration.
The necessity of the hour is to advocate that one particular person’s unhealthy acts shouldn’t taint all immigrants. Certainly, Lakanwal went by means of excessive vetting measures once they got here to the US and utilized for political asylum. Earlier than his arrival, Lakanwal labored with the US authorities, together with the CIA as a member of a associate pressure in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from 2011 till shortly after the US evacuation. However the intense vetting measures he was subjected to, Lakanwal nonetheless shot on the Nationwide Guar members, which resulted within the mindless loss of life of Sarah Beckstrom. It seems that Lakanwal received radicalized within the US and no quantity of vetting might have prevented his entry into the US. The subsequent shooter might effectively be a homegrown American who in all probability has by no means stepped foot outdoors the US. Additionally it is value declaring that there was no want for Trump to put members of the Nationwide Guard in DC and different cities within the first place.
Opposite to Trump’s unhinged put up, we should keep in mind that immigrants have performed an important function in making America nice, and limiting immigration based mostly on remoted incidents will solely rob the nation of their abilities and contributions.
In conclusion, it’s crucial that we resist the temptation to reply to tragedy with fear-driven insurance policies. As an alternative, we should always attempt for options that uphold the values of liberty and justice, guaranteeing that America – a nation of immigrants – stays a beacon of hope and alternative for all.
