The BareStory
A shooting in downtown Washington, D.C., on Wednesday resulted in the death of one National Guard member and left a second critically injured. The deceased was identified as Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and the wounded member as Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. President Trump announced Beckstrom's death on Thursday. A suspect, identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was arrested after being shot by a National Guard member.
According to officials, Lakanwal was paroled into the U.S. in September 2021. Multiple law enforcement sources and a Department of Homeland Security official stated his asylum application was granted earlier this year, during the Trump presidency. On Thursday, the CIA disclosed that Lakanwal had previously worked with the agency as part of a U.S. partner force in Afghanistan. According to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the suspect faces charges including assault with intent to kill.
Following the attack, President Trump announced late Thursday that he intends to "permanently pause migration" from nations he described as "Third World Countries." He also outlined other proposals, including terminating millions of admissions granted under the prior administration, removing individuals not considered a "net asset," ending federal benefits for noncitizens, and deporting foreign nationals deemed a security risk.
The administration has ordered a "full-scale, rigorous reexamination" of all green cards for immigrants from certain "countries of concern." According to two Homeland Security officials, a list of 19 countries includes Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, and Iran. A DHS spokesperson also confirmed the agency is reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration, while U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an immediate suspension of immigration processing for Afghan nationals.
How it may affect me
As a U.S. reader:
• Immigration processing for Afghan nationals has been immediately suspended, potentially delaying family reunifications and the resettlement of U.S. allies.
• Green cards for immigrants from 19 countries, including Haiti and Cuba, are under review, which may create uncertainty about legal status for some U.S. residents.
• Proposed policies could pause migration from many nations and terminate millions of admissions granted under the prior administration, affecting future immigration flows.
• A review of all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration has been ordered, which may result in some individuals having their status revoked.
