Aboard Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump doubled down on his hard-line immigration agenda following the deadly shooting of a National Guard member near the White House. Trump said his administration will launch what he calls “reverse migration” a policy aimed at expelling people already living in the U.S. who, in his words, “shouldn’t be here.”
When asked to clarify the term, Trump said:
“It means get people out that are in our country, get them out of here. I want to get them out.”
Trump placed blame on former President Joe Biden, alleging his administration admitted “millions” of the “worst” people into the U.S. under resettlement and immigration programs.
The President referred to the suspect in the shooting, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who fatally shot Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24 both members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed to Washington as part of Trump’s crime-reduction operation.
Trump said the U.S. is “paying a big price” for decisions made during Biden’s term, adding:
“That animal should not have been allowed to come into our country.”
Who Was the Suspect?
Authorities say Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era resettlement program for Afghans who assisted U.S. forces. He reportedly applied for asylum under the previous administration and received approval earlier this year under Trump.
Lakanwal previously worked in a CIA-backed Afghan Army unit and lived in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children.
Immediate Policy Fallout
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Trump administration halted all asylum decisions and paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said decisions would remain frozen until all applicants are “vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced the suspension of Afghan passport visas.
Federal prosecutors have charged Lakanwal with first-degree murder and multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said more policy changes are expected.
Increased Security Deployment
The government has ordered an additional 500 National Guard members to Washington, taking total deployment to nearly 2,200. More reinforcements from state governors are expected, according to officials.
