John Cornyn Backs Trump’s Pause on Visas for Afghan Migrants

Senator Cornyn emphasized his stance on Afghan migrants this week in a statement commending President Trump’s pause on Afghan visas.

“We cannot afford to gamble with national security," the Texas senator shared in a Facebook post. "That’s why I support President Trump’s recent pause on visas for Afghan nationals. American families deserve to know who is walking into their neighborhoods.”

The Senator has backtracked on his previous support for Afghan allies after a recent shooting of two members of the National Guard in D.C. The shooting left both in critical condition with one of the members passing away after the attack. Now, he stands behind President Trump's call to put a hold on visas and all pending immigration applications.

Beyond that, a special visa program that would allow Afghans who the U.S. government employed to seek asylum was paused immediately after the shooting. In recent weeks, the Trump administration issued a proclamation that further expanded its previous travel ban to 39 countries under the premise of protecting national security.

After the shooting, many lawmakers have remained quiet about the sudden halt.

Some, however, have spoken up about their reversal in their stances. Alongside Sen. Corny, senatorial hopeful Wesley Hunt also backtracked on his previous remarks, now sharing support for Trump’s hold on visas.

According to a 2024 article by NOTUS, Hunt had previously offered his support for the special visas, stating that for those who were “loyal to us and helped us, we should be loyal back to them.”

At the beginning of the month, Cornyn addressed the Senate, condemning the shooting and the Biden administration program that led to the suspected Afghan refugee’s entry into the country. He recalls a letter he wrote to the Biden administration, “pressing” for better vetting procedures.

With the recent turn in events, immigration policies and vetting procedures that ensure the processing of migrants into the U.S. have come into question.