US National Guard Shooting Prompts Trump to Demand Review of All Afghan Refugees

The shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., has triggered a dramatic escalation in the national debate over U.S. immigration policy, following President Donald Trump’s immediate call for the government to "re-examine every single alien" who entered the country from Afghanistan during the previous administration.

The incident occurred near the Farragut West metro station, close to the White House, on Wednesday afternoon. Two National Guard members, later reported by NBC to be from West Virginia, were critically wounded in the attack

The Suspect and Immigration Status

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national. A statement released by the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Lakanwal had entered the U.S. in 2021 under a policy enacted after the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan. This program, set up under the Biden administration, allowed thousands of Afghans to enter the country. According to reports from CNN, Lakanwal was subsequently granted asylum earlier this year.

The suspect was shot while being subdued by nearby Guard members and is now in custody with non-life-threatening injuries, according to an anonymous law enforcement official. Jeffrey Carroll, an official with Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, reported at a press conference that the assailant "came around the corner" and "immediately started firing a firearm at the two National Guard members." The attack unfolded rapidly, with bystanders capturing and circulating videos showing officers and Guard members subduing the suspect and providing aid to a victim.

President Trump's Fiery Response

Speaking from Palm Beach, Florida, President Trump swiftly condemned the event as an "act of terror". He used the incident to launch a severe critique of the immigration and vetting policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden, casting the shooting as a direct consequence of "lax vetting" of migrants from a country he labeled "a hellhole on earth."

“He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021, on those infamous flights that everybody was talking about,” Trump stated. His condemnation did not include any acknowledgement of the substantial vetting efforts carried out by U.S. military, intelligence, and immigration agencies as part of the initial admission process.

Trump articulated a forceful policy demand, stating he was "determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price." He concluded his remarks by asserting that the attack necessitated a full reconsideration of refugee and asylum statuses granted under previous policies:

“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country. If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them.”

Immediate Policy and Deployment Ramifications

The President’s aggressive stance was quickly followed by a material change in policy. Shortly after his statement, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an indefinite halt to the processing of all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals, signaling an immediate and widespread review of security and vetting protocols.

Furthermore, the attack led to an expansion of the controversial National Guard presence in the capital. Approximately 2,375 National Guard troops were already activated in Washington, deployed since August when the Trump administration declared a "crime emergency." Despite the existing controversies, President Trump announced in his speech that he had directed the rebranded "War Department" to send an additional 500 guard members to Washington following the shooting.

This deployment remains highly contentious and legally challenged. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb recently ruled that the existing National Guard deployment was likely unlawful and must be halted. However, that judicial order has yet to go into effect, not being scheduled until the following month, allowing the Trump administration time to file an appeal and continue the contested deployment in the interim.