An Afghan national is being investigated as a possible terrorist suspect in theshooting of two West Virginia National Guard members, leaving one dead and another injured, as the Trump administration ramped up its crackdown on illegal immigration.
In alate-night Thursday Truth Social post, PresidentDonald Trumpwrote "this refugee burden is the leading cause of social dysfunction in America....I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover."
President Trumpalso announced Thursday thatU.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died from her injuries in Wednesday's shooting in the nation's capital. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was "fighting for his life" and remained hospitalized in critical condition, the president said.
"I want to express the anguish and the horror of our entire nation at the terrorist attack yesterday in our nation's capital, in which a savage monster gunned down two service members in the West Virginia National Guard, who were deployed as part of the DC Task Force," Trump said in a Thanksgiving call with service members.
2 National Guard troops shot near White House in Washington, D.C.
The suspect, identified as 29-year-oldRahmanullah Lakanwal, was shot moments after the attack and was hospitalized in serious condition. The motive behind the deadly shooting is currently unknown.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 as part of aBiden-era asylum program. Trump officials have used the attack to blame the Biden administration for immigration vetting failures.
Following the shooting, the Trump administration began ordering widespread reviews of immigration policies, including the suspension of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals and areexamination of green card holdersfrom 19 countries that were considered "high-risk."
Victim remembered as a 'magnificent' person
Beckstrom, from Summersville, West Virginia, was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade, and entered service in June 2023, according toa news releasefrom the West Virginia National Guard. She was among the National Guard members deployed to the district in August as part of Trump's response to crime.
Trump on Thursday described Beckstrom as a "highly respected, young, magnificent person." Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia,wrote on Xthat Beckstrom had volunteered to serve in D.C. on Thanksgiving for "people she never met and gave the ultimate sacrifice."
Beckstrom's high school released astatement on social media, saying the school was "shocked and saddened" to hear of the shooting in D.C.
"Sarah, a member of the Class of 2023, has always demonstrated the strength, character, and commitment that make our school and community proud," Webster County High School said.Read more here.
DC shooting:Trump sent National Guard to DC to fight crime. Then two were shot.
Trump orders review of green card holders from countries of 'concern'
Trump directed the review ofgreen cardsissued from "every country of concern," according to Joseph Edlow, the head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Edlow announced on Nov. 27 that he has ordered a "full-scale, rigorous reexamination" of every green card holder from 19 countries. The countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
The new policy went into immediate effect and applies to immigration requests pending or filed on or after Nov. 27, according to the USCIS. The guidance comes after the Trump administration "halted refugee resettlement from Afghanistan and the entry of Afghan nationals in its first year of office," the agency said in a news release.
Afghanistanwas one of the nations included in Trump'stravel ban in June, in which he blocked the entry of foreign nationals from 12 nations and partially restricted entry from seven other countries into the United States.
Contributing: Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:DC National Guard shooting updates: Latest on suspect, Trump response
