In the wake of a shooting near the White House, the Trump administration is instructing American diplomats to pressure key allies over what it describes as widespread violent crimes committed by immigrants, according to a new report.
Diplomatic Push on Migrant Crime
A diplomatic cable sent by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 21 November 2025 directs American ambassadors in Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to regularly engage with host governments. The directive, obtained by The New York Times, orders diplomats to highlight crimes, particularly violent acts, committed by migrants in their respective countries.
The cable argues that such offences are “widespread disruptors of social cohesion”. US officials are told to raise concerns about “violent crimes associated with people of a migration background” as part of a concerted effort to push for stricter migration controls abroad.
White House Shooting Triggers Crackdown
The revelation of the diplomatic push came on Wednesday 26 November 2025, the same day a man identified as an Afghan national was named as the suspect in a shooting just blocks from the White House. Two West Virginia National Guard members were shot and left in critical condition.
The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is reported to have previously worked with US forces, including the CIA, in Afghanistan. He arrived in the United States after the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban in 2021. Lakanwal was hospitalised after being shot by a Guard member during the attack.
President Trump issued a furious response, vowing the suspect would pay the “steepest possible price”. He immediately directed federal agencies to suspend immigration requests from Afghanistan.
Re-examination of Afghan Refugees
Investigations reveal that the suspect had his asylum application approved earlier in 2025 after applying during the Biden administration. He was awaiting a decision on his green card application at the time of the shooting.
In a video message on Wednesday evening, President Trump demanded new vetting for all Afghan refugees brought to the US after 2021. “We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden,” he stated, characterising such attacks as the “single greatest national security threat facing our nation”.
The fall of Afghanistan’s government in 2021 accelerated the issuance of special immigrant visas for Afghans who feared Taliban retaliation due to their cooperation with the US. The Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome programme extended protections, though the Trump administration halted temporary protected status for some Afghan refugees in early 2025.
The focus on migrants who commit violent crimes was a central theme of Trump’s 2024 campaign and has remained a key policy area since his return to office.
