_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
An Afghan national who entered the country under the Biden administration shot two National Guard members near the White House on Thanksgiving eve. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition.
In response, the Trump administration launched a sweeping immigration crackdown, pausing all asylum decisions and halting visa processing for Afghan nationals.
_THE FACTS_
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, entered the US in September 2021 under Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome program.
He worked with the CIA-backed “Zero Unit” in Kandahar for about eight years before the US withdrawal.
Refugee officials warned in 2023 that Lakanwal was “spiraling into mania,” yet he received asylum in April 2025.
Witnesses said the suspect shouted “Allahu akbar” before opening fire with a revolver.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Lakanwal will face first-degree murder charges, and the death penalty will be sought.
President Trump ordered a pause on all asylum decisions and halted Afghan visa processing pending a full review.
Trump vowed to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” to protect national security.
The president enacted a review of green card holders from 19 countries of concern.
Trump also posted part of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which grants the president the right to exclude broad classes of aliens.
_INSIGHTS_
This attack was made possible by immense failures in the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal and its Operation Allies Welcome screening process, while the Trump administration failed in extending asylum to the alleged perpetrator back in April.
Now, President Trump and the Right more broadly are reflecting on how mass immigration from third-world countries has endangered Americans. But while Trump has promised big changes, the actual moves thus far — such as blocking Afghan visa processing — have been relatively small.
Correction, Oct. 31, 2026: An earlier version of this article misidentified the law Trump posted. The president’s power to bar classes of immigrants comes from Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.












