President Donald Trump said on Thursday that one of two West Virginia National Guard members ambushed near the White House has died, turning a shocking street attack into a flashpoint over immigration vetting and asylum policy.
Trump Names Fallen Soldier And Condemns ‘Savage' Attack
Trump said 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom passed away after an Afghan national opened fire on a patrol just two blocks from the White House on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report. Her fellow guard member, 24-year-old Specialist Andrew Wolfe, is "fighting for his life," Trump told troops in a Thanksgiving call, condemning the shooting as a "terrorist attack" by a "savage monster."
Investigators say 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal drove cross-country to Washington, then stepped from his vehicle and opened fire with a .357 Magnum revolver, hitting both Guard members before other troops returned fire and tackled him.
FBI Probes Suspect's Past And Possible Terror Links
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a new conference on Thursday that agents seized phones, laptops and other devices in raids, including at a Washington state home where Lakanwal lived with his wife and five children. Officials say he appeared to act alone but had previously served in a CIA-backed Afghan unit before entering the U.S. under a 2021 resettlement program and later gaining asylum.
Trump and senior aides immediately blamed "Biden-era immigration vetting failures," even though a government file reviewed by Reuters shows U.S. authorities granted Lakanwal asylum this year during Trump's second term.
Asylum Freeze And Reviews Stir New Controversy
The administration ordered a sweeping review of all asylum cases approved under President Biden as well as green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services froze all new immigration requests involving Afghan nationals.
Trump said the shooting "reminds us that we have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country." His critics warn that broad retroactive reviews could destabilize thousands of Afghans who aided U.S. forces and already face long backlogs and legal limbo.
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