The Trump administration announced a ‘‘full-scale, rigorous reexamination’’ of green cards issued to immigrants from what it calls ‘‘countries of concern’’ after a shooting that wounded two National Guard members near the White House. An Afghan national who arrived in 2021 has been arrested as the suspected attacker.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said President Trump ordered the review. Two Homeland Security officials told CBS News the administration’s list includes 19 countries, among them Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Yemen and Venezuela.
The victims, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, were identified as Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. Authorities described the incident as an ambush-style attack. President Trump said Beckstrom later died of her injuries and Wolfe remained in critical condition.
Police say the suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was shot by a National Guard member at the scene and has been arrested. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said he faces three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed and will be charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; charges could change depending on the victims’ conditions.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified Lakanwal as an Afghan national paroled into the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden-era program that processed Afghans evacuated after the U.S. withdrawal. DHS said the CIA confirmed Lakanwal previously worked with the agency in Afghanistan.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the agency is reviewing asylum cases approved during the Biden administration, but she did not detail the review’s scope. McLaughlin also suggested a Biden-era court settlement that sped Afghan asylum processing played a role in how some cases were handled.
The announcement follows an earlier order this month to review and rescreen refugees admitted under President Biden — an unprecedented step by the current administration. Since the shooting, officials have paused immigration processing requests from Afghan nationals.
About 85,000 Afghans were admitted to the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome after 2021; many were initially housed at military bases and moved to communities after processing.
President Trump called the attack ‘‘an act of evil and an act of hatred and an act of terror,’’ and said his administration will reexamine all Afghans admitted under the prior administration and pursue removal of any foreign national deemed inadmissible or not beneficial to the country. In remarks following the shooting he also referenced Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
The administration has directed immigration officials to review refugee admissions under President Biden to identify any grounds that could disqualify individuals from remaining in the United States. Nicole Sganga contributed to this report.