The president now wants every Afghan national who arrived in the US under the Biden-era policy to be reviewed following the incident, which he branded “an act of terror”
The shooting comes amid the increased presence of National Guard troops across Washington.
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Getty
Donald Trump has called for the government to review every Afghan immigrant who entered the US during Joe Biden’s administration after an Afghan national was accused of shooting two national guard members in Washington.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, was named as the suspect in the shooting – which took place near the Farragut West metro station in the capital city – by the Department of Homeland Security.
The two national guard members remain in a critical condition.
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Afghan suspect.
Picture:
Reuters
The president now wants every Afghan national who arrived in the US under the Biden-era policy to be reviewed following the incident, which he branded “an act of terror”.
Picture:
Getty
US authorities revealed the alleged shooter had been allowed to enter the US “due to his prior work with the US government” in Afghanistan prior to their withdrawal in 2021.
He was granted asylum by the immigration authorities earlier this year.
The president now wants every Afghan national who arrived in the US under the Biden-era policy to be reviewed following the incident, which he branded “an act of terror”.
“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden,” he said.
Soon after Trump made this statement, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it had stopped processing all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals indefinitely.
Speaking from Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said he was “determined to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price”.
“As we are filled with anguish and grief for those who were shot, we’re also filled with righteous anger and ferocious resolve,” he added.
The US leader also slammed his predecessor’s immigration policies and stated the shooting was a result of of lax vetting of Afghan migrants.
The guard members shot were specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and staff sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24.
Picture:
Reuters
He then went on to criticise Afghanistan as a country, describing it as “a hellhole on earth”.
During his rant, the president failed to acknowledge the vetting effort carried out by the US military, intelligence and immigration agents.
Trump concluded reconsideration of refugee and asylum status granted under previous administrations was justified by the latest attack.
“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.”
The shooting comes amid the increased presence of national guard troops across Washington, which has been in place since August after the Trump administration declared a “crime emergency”.
Following the shooting, Trump ordered for 500 additional troops to join the 2,375 already stationed in Washington.
The Guard deployment was recently ruled unlawful by US district judge Jia Cobb, who called for it to be halted.
But this order does not come into effect until next month, and the Trump administration is appealing against the ruling.