Mourners hold candle-light vigil at deceased National Guard’s hometown
National Guard soldier Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was shot and killed by Afghans who had ambushed her near the White House.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said authorities continue to work to determine the underlying motives of the Afghan-born man accused of fatally shooting two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C.
“We’re still reviewing all the information. We’ll let the FBI and the (Department of Justice) come forward with any new information, but I believe he became radicalized after coming to this country,” Noem said of Rahmanullah Rakanwal, 29, in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Lakhanwal, who was subdued and hospitalized after the attack, is being sought as a terrorist suspect in the Nov. 26 shooting that killed one National Guard member and seriously injured another several blocks from the White House, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Lakhanwal was charged with first-degree murder.
Noem said investigators believe Lakanwal was living in Washington state when he became radicalized “through his connections to his home community and state.” Noem said authorities are working with the man’s friends and family for more information.
In the wake of the shooting, President Donald Trump accused President Joe Biden’s administration of insufficiently vetting Afghan immigrants and other foreign nationals who entered Afghanistan. Lakhanwal was granted asylum in April during the Trump administration’s second term.
Lakhanwal moved to the United States in 2021 as part of the Biden administration’s plan to evacuate Afghans in collaboration with the U.S. military, during which time he would have been scrutinized by U.S. authorities. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said he was part of a CIA-backed field force in Afghanistan.
He applied for asylum in December 2024 and was granted asylum on April 23, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and other news organizations.
Noem said in an interview with NBC that investigators are seeking more information from Lakanwal’s family and friends.
“Anyone with information about this case needs to know that we will come after you and bring you to justice,” she said.
Since the shooting, President Trump has focused on some legal immigration pathways, including reviewing green card holders and ordering a freeze on processing asylum applications from “Third World countries.” Noem reiterated the Trump administration’s plan to suspend some immigration admissions in light of the shootings.
“They will be properly vetted. They will have new standards that will be applied to ensure that they are here for that purpose,” Noem said of asylum seekers. “Nobody comes here until we’re sure they’re really the right fit for the program.”
She claimed without evidence that as many as 100,000 Afghans who came to the United States in 2021 as part of an evacuation plan “may have come to harm us,” and said President Trump is “dedicated to getting them out of the country.”
Asylum has long been granted in the United States. Asylum seekers are people who are already in the country and say they need to remain because of dangerous conditions in their home country. They may face persecution because of their race, religion, political views, or other factors.
Asked by host Kristin Welker when the Trump administration would again process asylum claims from around the world, Noem said it would not until authorities “address the backlog of cases.” The Department of Homeland Security will also consider deporting people with outstanding asylum claims, she said.
“We will investigate everyone who has a pending asylum claim,” she said.
Contributors: Sarah D. Wire and Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY. Reuters
