Donald Trump says he is considering deporting the family of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
On Thursday, Nov. 27, the 79-year-old president was asked whether he planned to remove Lakanwal’s wife and five children from the United States. Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national, had been living in Washington state with his family before the alleged attack.
“Well, we’re looking at that right now. We’re looking at the whole situation with family,” Trump said. “It’s a tragic situation.”
At a press conference the same day, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said it was too early to determine a motive. She alleged that Lakanwal drove across the country and carried out the shooting using a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
According to officials cited by the Associated Press, Lakanwal is believed to have entered the United States in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a program launched under the Biden administration to evacuate and resettle Afghans following the withdrawal of American troops.
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CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that Lakanwal had previously worked with the agency as part of a “partner force in Kandahar.”
In response to the shooting, Trump also announced that his administration will “permanently pause” migration from what he called “Third World Countries,” though he did not specify which nations he was referring to or detail how such a pause would be implemented.
“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation.”
The two West Virginia National Guard members who were shot were identified as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. Both had reportedly been sworn in just 24 hours before the attack.
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Trump later announced that Beckstrom, 20, had died from her injuries.
“Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we’re talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person … She’s just passed away,” he said during a Thanksgiving call with service members. “She’s no longer with us.”
Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized in critical condition following surgery.
