Trump Admin To Re-Examine Afghan Asylum Seekers After D.C. National Guard Ambush
The Trump administration says it is actively re-examining tens of thousands of Afghan asylum seekers, following last week’s shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan immigrant.
Following the shooting, Trump said he would “permanently pause” migration from “third world countries.” The administration also announced it will reexamine all green cards issued to nationals from 19 “countries of concern.” On Friday, the State Department paused all visas for individuals applying with Afghan passports.
Suspected shooter Rahmanullah Lakanwal came to the U.S. in 2021 after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. The 29-year-old was granted asylum in April under the Trump administration.
REWIND
Lakanwal served in one of the elite “Zero Units,“ where Afghans fought alongside the CIA and other U.S. forces during the two-decade war. He and his family were evacuated to the U.S. under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, along with roughly 76,000 Afghans. He resettled in Washington state with his wife and five young sons.
A Politico investigation paints a picture of a man who suffered severe depression, was unable to hold a job, and retreated for weeks at a time into “dark isolation.”
A January 2024 email from a community member to a refugee nonprofit said he had “not been functional as a person, father and provider” since March 2023. The community member did not think he would commit violence against another person, but was worried about possible self-harm.
THE ATTACK
Prosecutors say Lakanwal drove across the country to D.C. to carry out an “ambush-style” shooting using a revolver just blocks from the White House on Wednesday afternoon, killing 20-year-old Spec. Sarah Beckstrom and critically injuring 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe.
Officials say Wolfe showed signs of response — including wiggling his toes. Wolfe’s mother asked West Virginia’s Governor: “Would you please get the word out that my son Andrew needs prayer?”
The two West Virginia National Guardsmen were in D.C. as part of Trump’s crime crackdown.
Lakanwal’s motive remains unclear. He now faces first-degree murder charges.