Crackdown

President Trump began an immigration crackdown after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard members on Wednesday.

Context

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan, allegedly approached and shot two National Guard members from West Virginia in downtown Washington, DC, on Wednesday. Of the pair – which had volunteered to work over the Thanksgiving holiday – one died, and the other remains in critical condition.

Lakanwal was resettled in the US in 2021 after aiding the US war effort in Afghanistan. Authorities say he became radicalized while in the US and drove last week from his home in Washington state to DC.

Prosecutors detained Lakanwal and charged him with crimes, including first-degree murder.

Crackdown

The Trump Administration immediately responded to the shooting by suspending all immigration processing for Afghan nationals and announcing plans to review green cards for individuals from 19 countries deemed “high risk” by the administration.