Afghan National Charged with Murder of National Guard Member; Trump Administration Halts Asylum Decisions and Afghan Visas
Following the fatal shooting of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and critical injury of Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe by an Afghan national, the Trump administration has halted all asylum decisions and paused Afghan passport visa issuance.
Overview
- Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically injured in a shooting near the White House, prompting immediate federal action.
- Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the U.S. in September 2021, has been charged with first-degree murder for the attack.
- In response to the shooting, the Trump administration, via USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, halted all asylum decisions to ensure maximum vetting and screening of aliens.
- The State Department also temporarily paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports, as President Trump advocated for stricter anti-immigration measures.
- President Trump criticized prior administration policies, calling the shooting a "terrorist attack" and advocating for stricter vetting and a re-evaluation of green cards.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by portraying the Trump administration's immigration actions as an opportunistic expansion of pre-existing, controversial policies, rather than a direct, necessary response to the shooting. They emphasize the administration "seizing on" the event to justify broader restrictions, while also including expert opinions and counter-narratives that question the premise of inadequate vetting or generalize about Afghan migrants.
"The Trump administration has halted all asylum decisions and paused issuing visas for people traveling on Afghan passports days after a shooting near the White House that left one National Guard member dead and another in critical condition."
ABC News"The Trump administration has seized on the shooting to vow to intensify efforts to rein in legal immigration, promising to pause entry from some poor countries and review Afghans and other legal migrants already in the country."
Associated Press"This has left the nearly 200,000 Afghans who are currently living across the U.S. in deep fear and shame over the actions of one person in their community."
ABC News"This has left the nearly 200,000 Afghans who are currently living across the U.S. in deep fear and shame over the actions of one person in their community."
Associated Press"The Trump administration on Friday directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers to pause all asylum decisions in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C."
CBS News"The Trump administration announced Friday it is halting all asylum decisions in the wake of the National Guard shooting in Washington, D.C."
Chicago Tribune"The declaration follows Wednesday's shooting in downtown Washington, D.C., just blocks from the White House, in which a National Guard member was killed and a second Guard member critically wounded."
CBS News"The Trump administration ordered widespread reviews of immigration policies, including the immediate and indefinite suspension of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals."
USA TODAY"The announcement comes in the wake of an Afghan national allegedly shooting two National Guard troops in Washington DC on Wednesday, gravely injuring them both."
BBC News"The Trump administration said Thursday it will be conducting a "full-scale, rigorous reexamination" of all green cards for every immigrant from "a country of concern" in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C."
CBS News"The administration said shortly after Trump's remarks that all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals will be halted indefinitely."
NBC News"The administration's response raises the prospect that it will seek to block or even revoke status of Afghan nationals who helped US forces fight the Taliban."
Fortune"The Trump Administration is also reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden Administration, which failed to vet these applicants on a massive scale."
USA TODAYArticles (24)
Center (13)
FAQ
The victims were Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, who died, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was critically injured.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal is a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the U.S. in September 2021 and was granted asylum earlier in 2025. He is accused of driving across the country to carry out the attack.
The Trump administration suspended all asylum decisions for Afghan nationals and paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports, citing the need for stricter vetting and screening.
President Trump called the shooting a 'terrorist attack' and criticized previous administration policies, advocating for stricter immigration controls and a re-evaluation of green card policies.
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