US suspends Afghan visas, denies 'kill everybody' order
2 Min Read
The US halts visa issuance for Afghan passport holders amid security concerns. Meanwhile, Secretary Pete Hegseth denies reports he ordered to "kill everybody" in drug boat strikes.
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US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader at the National Palace in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic on November 26, 2025. (AP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that Washington has halted all visa processing for Afghan passport holders.
"President [Donald] Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports. The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people," Rubio said on X.
Rubio did not clarify whether the pause would apply to special visa categories such as humanitarian parole or Afghan allies previously approved under US resettlement programs.
The Trump administration announced an immediate suspension of immigration processing for Afghan nationals following an incident in which an Afghan man shot two National Guard soldiers near the White House.
According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, all Afghan-related immigration requests are now paused indefinitely pending a review of current vetting procedures.
The shooter, a 29-year-old Afghan national, reportedly arrived in the United States in 2021 under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome, a program designed to resettle Afghans who cooperated with the US military following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.
Hegseth rejects reports of 'kill everybody' order
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth denied reports published by The Washington Post on Friday that he gave a blanket order to “kill everybody” during recent operations against suspected drug trafficking vessels near Venezuela.
"As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland," Hegseth wrote on X, dismissing the claims as media distortion.
As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland.
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 28, 2025
As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically…
The report cited anonymous sources familiar with internal discussions surrounding the strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean.
Pentagon defends drug strike operations as lawful
In a separate post, Hegseth defended the legality of the US military's current operations in the Caribbean, where naval and aerial assets have been deployed against suspected narco-trafficking routes.
"Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command," he said.
