The Trump administration introduced it should pursue a “full-scale, rigorous reexamination” of each inexperienced card holder from international locations “of concern” in response to the capturing of two Nationwide Guard troops in Washington, DC.
US Citizenship and Immigration Companies Director Joseph Edlow claimed President Trump had requested the gargantuan assessment, which is anticipated to embody inexperienced card holders from a minimum of 19 international locations.
Nationwide Guard capturing suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, had entered the US in 2021 from Afghanistan within the aftermath of the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal as a part of the “Operation Allies Welcome” program.
“The safety of this nation and of the American folks stays paramount, and the American folks won’t bear the price of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement insurance policies. American security is non negotiable,” Edlow posted on X.
A spokesperson prompt the international locations “of concern” embrace the 19 talked about in Trump’s June government order to safeguard People from overseas terrorists: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
Inexperienced playing cards permit overseas migrants to have everlasting residency and the suitable to work inside the US.
Over 190,000 Afghans have been resettled into the US after the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, per State Division knowledge.
Shortly after getting sworn into his second time period, Trump moved to halt Afghan refugee resettlement within the US and later restricted journey from the war-torn nation.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration introduced it was instantly suspending “processing of all immigration requests referring to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending additional assessment of safety and vetting protocols.”
Lakanwal served within the elite NDS-03 counterterrorism unit in Afghanistan, one in all a minimum of 5 paramilitary “Zero Items” that labored with the CIA, based on the nonprofit group AfghanEvac, a nonprofit run by American veterans serving to resettle Afghan allies within the US, however not Lakanwal.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Lakanwal had labored with the intelligence company, however didn’t specify the unit. Lakanwal’s service to the US helped him get admittance.
Lakanwal had utilized for asylum in December 2024 and later acquired approval underneath the Trump administration in April of this 12 months.
In current days, Lakanwal allegedly traveled from Washington state, the place he lived along with his spouse and 5 youngsters, to Washington, DC, to hold out the ambush assault, based on native authorities.
The suspect allegedly shot West Virginia Nationwide Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who later died from her accidents, on Thursday, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was left critically wounded.
Lakanwal is recovering from his accidents after a Nationwide Guard member opened hearth on him, officers stated.
Up to now, he’s going through at least three counts of assault with intent to kill and felony possession of a weapon, which carry as much as 15 years behind bars.
US Lawyer for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro warned that Lakanwal will face homicide prices and Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi vowed that prosecutors will search the demise penalty.
Trump revealed that his workforce is presently evaluating whether or not to deport Lakanwal’s household.
“We’re wanting on the entire state of affairs with the household. It’s a tragic state of affairs,” he advised reporters Thursday.
