FBI said it was launching a full-scale terror probe after a gunman carried out what officials described as an “ambush style” attack near the White House, shooting two National Guard soldiers multiple times with a revolver…reports Asian Lite news
The Trump administration announced that it would review the immigration status of every permanent resident or “Green Card” holder from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington.
US officials have identified the detained suspect in the shooting as an Afghan national who previously worked with American forces in Afghanistan.
The 29-year-old suspect was granted asylum — not permanent residency — in April this year, according to AfghanEvac, a group that helped resettle Afghans in the United States after the 2021 Taliban takeover.
“I have directed a full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X.
When asked to specify to which countries Edlow was referring, a USCIS spokesperson pointed to President Donald Trump’s June executive order classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”
The order banned entry of almost all nationals from 12 of the countries, including Afghanistan. The 11 other countries facing a travel ban were: Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Trump also imposed a partial ban on travelers from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas from those countries are allowed.
Meanwhile, the FBI said it was launching a full-scale terror probe after a gunman carried out what officials described as an “ambush style” attack near the White House, shooting two National Guard soldiers multiple times with a revolver.
The young soldiers shot remained in critical condition, as America was jolted on what is normally a quiet day with family and friends on the Thanksgiving holiday.
The shooter was identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who worked with US forces in his country during the war against the Taliban and settled in America after the group seized power again in 2021 and the Americans withdrew chaotically.
The shooter faces charges of assault with intent to kill, and if the guardsmen die he will face first-degree murder charges, US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jean Pirro told a news conference.
“You picked the wrong target, the wrong city and the wrong country,” Pirro said. “It is an ongoing investigation of terrorism,” FBI director Kash Patel told the same news conference.
He said officials are investigating any associates the suspect had either back home or in the United States. “That is what a broad-based international terrorism investigation looks like,” Patel said.
Officials said Lakanwal, armed with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver, staged an ambush attack on the two National Guard members. The soldiers were deployed to Washington under President Donald Trump’s much-disputed use of military forces in Democrat-run cities to fight what he calls rampant violent crime.
Pirro said the shooter walked up to the soldiers near a subway stop a stone’s throw from the White House and started shooting “without provocation, ambush style.” “One guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the guardsman again,” Pirro said. “Fellow guardsmen who were there responded, immediately, engaging the suspect, neutralizing the threat and subduing him at the scene.
The Trump administration plans a review of all refugees admitted to the US during the Biden administration, according to a memo obtained Monday by The Associated Press, in the latest blow against a program that has for decades welcomed people fleeing war and persecution into the country.
The review is likely to sow confusion and fear among the nearly 200,000 refugees who came to the United States during that period. It is likely to face legal challenges from advocates, some of whom said the move was part of the administration’s “cold-hearted treatment” of people trying to build new lives in the US
The memo, signed by the director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, and dated Friday, said that during the Biden years “expediency” and “quantity” were prioritized over “detailed screening and vetting.” The memo said that warranted a comprehensive review and “re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025.”
The memo indicated that there will be a list of people to re-interview within three months.
