The Trump administration has intensified its efforts to restrict legal immigration in the wake of the fatal shooting of a National Guard member near the White House on Wednesday, allegedly by an Afghan national. The attack, which President Donald Trump labeled a “terrorist attack,” has been seized upon by the administration to announce a sweeping crackdown on immigrants and asylum seekers already in the country.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly drove cross-country from Washington state to carry out the targeted assault that killed Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and left Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe critically injured.
Immigration Freeze and Review
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, which is being investigated as an act of terrorism, the administration announced major policy shifts:
- Asylum Decisions Paused: Joseph Edlow, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced on social media that asylum decisions would be paused “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”
- Afghan Visa Freeze: The Department of State immediately paused visa issuance for all individuals traveling on Afghan passports.
- Review of Migrants: Trump pledged to conduct a full review of all Afghans and other legal migrants who entered the country, especially those who entered under the Biden administration’s “Operation Allies Welcome.”
Trump specifically criticized the Biden administration for enabling the entry of Afghans who had worked with U.S. forces. However, records indicate Lakanwal was granted asylum earlier this year under the Trump administration, despite entering the U.S. in 2021 under the Biden-era program. Furthermore, the CIA confirmed that Lakanwal had previously worked with the U.S. government, including the agency itself, as a member of a partner force in Afghanistan.
Veterans’ Group Condemns Policy Shift
The new measures drew immediate condemnation from refugee and veteran advocacy groups. Shawn VanDiver, president of the San Diego-based group AfghanEvac, stated that the administration is leveraging the tragic event to implement pre-planned, hardline policies.
“They are using a single violent individual as cover for a policy they have long planned, turning their own intelligence failures into an excuse to punish an entire community and the veterans who served alongside them,” VanDiver said.
Meanwhile, investigators are executing warrants in Washington state and other parts of the country as they continue to search for Lakanwal, who is currently hospitalized after being shot and detained at the scene by other National Guard members.