But the Homeland Security secretary said the alleged shooter was “radicalized” in the U.S.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday said the motive behind the shooting of two National Guard members remains unknown but that the alleged shooter was “radicalized” upon coming to the U.S.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Noem shared that officials are using “every tool at our disposal” to investigate 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who allegedly opened fire just blocks from the White House on Nov. 26.
“We believe he was radicalized since he’s been here in this country. We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state, and we’re going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him, who were his family members,” Noem said.
She added that officials have received “some participation” from those they have interviewed so far.
Lakanwal is accused of ambushing U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24. He was charged with first degree murder after Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thanksgiving Day. Wolfe remains listed in critical condition.
Lakanwal, an asylum seeker who came to the U.S. in 2021 following the Afghanistan withdrawal, was part of an Afghan Army Zero Unit. Those units were backed by the CIA.
He was granted asylum by the Trump administration in April of this year, though Noem on Sunday rejected the idea that the current administration bore any responsibility for Lakanwal’s residency in the U.S.
“The vetting process all happened under Joe Biden’s administration,” Noem said.
President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause all asylum decisions following the deadly shooting.
Noem on Sunday said that new standards for future asylum seekers will be put in place, though the process to allow future applicants in won’t begin until a backlog has been cleared.
The Trump administration said it is reviewing all current green card holders from 19 “countries of concern” — including Afghanistan, and Trump on Friday said he would ban all migration from “Third World countries.”
“The president is absolutely determined to stop all processes at this point in time from third world countries until we can have a thorough opportunity to go through these individuals, know that they’re here for the right intentions and that they even should be in our country to begin with,” Noem said Sunday.
She added that the administration will “absolutely” deport people who “should be,” even if they have a pending asylum case.
“We are going to go through every single person that has a pending asylum claim, has an asylum claim here in this country,” Noem said. “One of the requirements of asylum, is that you have to come in every single year for a checkup in an interview process and a re-vetting and that is something that we’re going to expedite with anyone who does have that asylum claim today, and ensure that they deserve to still be in this country.”