Guard member killed in DC shooting, another in critical condition
A shooting incident near the White House in Washington, D.C. leaves one National Guard member dead and another in critical condition.
President Donald Trump has directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to review the status of green card holders from “all countries of concern” as the federal government expands its controversial crackdown on illegal immigration and crime.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Secretary Joseph Edlow announced on November 27 that the president had ordered “a full and rigorous reexamination of green cards for all aliens from all countries of concern.” The order came a day after two National Guard members were shot and killed in Washington, D.C.
Officials said the unit was on a “high-security patrol” near the White House when the shooting occurred on Nov. 26. President Trump said one of the two West Virginia National Guard soldiers injured in the attack died on November 27, and the other remains in critical condition.
Federal authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Rakanwar, 29, an Afghan national from Washington state. Lakhanwal, who was apprehended and hospitalized after the attack, is being investigated as a terrorist suspect, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In the wake of the shooting, the Trump administration ordered a wide-ranging review of immigration policy, including an immediate and indefinite suspension of all immigration applications for Afghan nationals. USCIS will also conduct a review of all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration and green cards issued to nationals of 19 countries deemed “high risk.”
“The protection of this country and the American people remains our top priority, and Americans will not bear the costs of the previous administration’s reckless resettlement policies,” Edlow wrote to X.
‘High-risk’ countries were previously subject to travel bans
USCIS said in a new release that it has issued new guidance that allows it to consider “negative country-specific factors” in the screening process for people who immigrate to the United States from 19 “high-risk countries.”
The 19 countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. The new policy is effective immediately and applies to immigration applications that are pending or filed after November 27, USCIS said.
The agency said the guidance comes after the Trump administration “suspended refugee resettlement from Afghanistan and the entry of Afghan nationals during its first year in office.”
Afghanistan was one of the countries targeted by a travel ban announced by President Trump in June, which blocked foreign nationals from 12 countries from entering the country and partially restricted entry into the United States from seven other countries.
The president cited visa overstays and a lack of proper vetting and scrutiny measures as reasons for this. Among the few exceptions were Afghan nationals who entered the country on special immigrant visas after serving as U.S. military aid or interpreters.
Officials: Suspected shooter worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan
According to authorities, the suspect worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan and entered the country in September 2021 through Operation Welcoming Allies. Lakhanwal was reportedly granted asylum by the Trump administration in April.
The “Operation Welcome Allies” program was designed to allow Afghans who supported U.S. troops and their families to come into the country after the U.S. withdrew, potentially making them targets of retaliation by the Taliban.
Groups that support refugees fleeing Afghanistan blamed the Trump administration for suspending immigration applications in the wake of the shooting.
Arash Azizada, co-director of Afghanistan for a Better Tomorrow, a community-led advocacy group, said the United States should acknowledge that “forever war” is the main reason many Afghans seek safety, and that it is unfair to blame refugees for the consequences of a single action.
“President Trump is using this tragedy as an excuse to demonize, criminalize, and target entire communities,” Azizada said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Contributors: Sarah D. Wire and Phillip Bailey, USA TODAY. Reuters
