A 29-year-old Afghan national, who entered the United States in 2021, left two National Guard members fighting for their lives after opening fire near the White House on Wednesday afternoon. The incident has led to an immediate suspension of Afghan immigration processing and renewed calls for increased deportation efforts.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly ambushed the West Virginia National Guard soldiers with a handgun while they conducted patrols just two blocks from the White House. Both victims remain in critical condition, while the suspect, also severely wounded, is in federal custody.
Trump Frames the Incident as Validation of Hardline Immigration Policies
President Donald Trump swiftly used the incident to reinforce his tough stance on immigration. In a video address from Florida, he described the attack as 'an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror,' calling it 'a crime against our entire nation,' according to ABC News.
Trump criticised the Biden administration's migration policies, claiming they are 'the single greatest national security threat facing our nation.' He vowed to 're-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden,' adding: 'If they can't love our country, we don't want them.'
Within hours, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on X that 'processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.'
Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.
— USCIS (@USCIS) November 27, 2025
The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and…
Increasing ICE Operations Targeting Afghan Nationals
This policy shift follows months of escalating ICE operations targeting Afghan nationals, including former US military interpreters facing Taliban death threats. In October, an Afghan father of four who served alongside American troops was arrested at an Indiana weigh station, according to KCUR News.
Multiple former interpreters have been detained after routine immigration hearings in San Diego and Hartford, as reported by NPR and The Washington Post. Court documents show the Department of Homeland Security has labelled several detainees as 'national security' threats, often without public evidence. Some possess recommendation letters from US Army sergeants vouching for their service.
Calls for Stricter Deportations from Vice President Vance
Vice President JD Vance shared on X that he criticised the Biden administration's policy of admitting unvetted Afghan refugees in 2021, recalling accusations of racism from critics. He asserted that those refugees 'shouldn't have been in our country.'
I remember back in 2021 criticizing the Biden policy of opening the floodgate to unvetted Afghan refugees. Friends sent me messages calling me a racist. It was a clarifying moment.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 27, 2025
They shouldn't have been in our country.
Vance further urged stronger deportation efforts, emphasising the need to 'redouble our efforts to deport people with no right to be in our country.' He criticised some media voices for claiming immigration policies are too harsh and argued that recent events demonstrate why stricter enforcement is necessary.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Trump had ordered an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington.
Many of our voters will demand not just words, but action, and this is an entirely appropriate response. We will first bring the shooter to justice, and then we must redouble our efforts to deport people with no right to be in our country.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 27, 2025
Already some voices in corporate media…
Scrutiny of the 2021 Afghan Evacuation Programme
The suspect entered the US on September 8, 2021, as part of the Afghan evacuation programme that resettled around 76,000 Afghans following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul. He was granted asylum in April 2025, according to law enforcement sources.
Shawn VanDiver of AfghanEvac condemned the shooting, cautioning against collective punishment and stressing that this isolated act should not define an entire community.
The incident has intensified scrutiny of the 2021 evacuation programme. President Joe Biden expressed deep sadness over the attack, tweeting that he and Jill Biden are 'deeply saddened by the attack' and emphasising that violence of any kind is unacceptable, calling for unity in condemnation.
Jill and I are heartbroken that two members of the National Guard were shot outside the White House. Violence of any kind is unacceptable, and we must all stand united against it. We are praying for the service members and their families.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 26, 2025
FBI Investigates as Terrorism Probe Begins
The FBI has launched an investigation into the shooting as a potential act of international terrorism. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the gunman 'appeared to target' the National Guard members, according to The Washington Post.
Initially, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey reported that the soldiers had died, but he later retracted that statement. The suspect remains hospitalised in critical condition.
Trump posted on Truth Social: 'The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen will pay a very steep price.'
