Trump Orders Sweeping Immigration Review After National Guard Member Killed in D.C. Ambush

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that a National Guard member had died after being shot in an ambush near the White House, an attack his administration blamed on Biden-era immigration vetting failures. The shooting has triggered a sweeping review of asylum cases and a federal terrorism investigation.

Trump said Sarah Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her injuries, while Andrew Wolfe, 24, remained “fighting for his life” after Wednesday’s attack. The FBI has launched a broad probe, searching multiple properties — including a residence in Washington state tied to the suspect — and seizing electronic devices ranging from phones to laptops, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

Authorities identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national who officials said previously served in a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan before arriving in the U.S. in 2021 under a resettlement program. He lived in Washington state with his wife and five children.

According to investigators, Lakanwal drove cross-country before allegedly ambushing the two Guard members as they patrolled near the White House. Armed with a .357 Magnum revolver, he shot one Guardsman, then fired again after the victim fell, before turning his weapon on the second. He was wounded in an exchange of fire and remained hospitalized under heavy guard on Thursday.

US Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro described the attack as a targeted ambush. Washington Metro Police executive assistant chief Jeff Carroll said the suspect appeared to have acted alone.

In a Thanksgiving call with U.S. service members, Trump condemned the shooting as a “terrorist attack” and described the suspected gunman as “an Afghan national flown here by the previous administration,” blaming former President Joe Biden for immigration vetting failures. However, a U.S. government file reviewed by Reuters shows Lakanwal was granted asylum this year under Trump, and officials offered no evidence supporting claims that Biden-era policies enabled his entry.

The victim’s father, Gary Beckstrom, wrote on social media: “My baby girl has passed to glory,” calling the family’s loss a “horrible tragedy.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the government plans to bring terrorism charges and will seek a life sentence “at a minimum,” adding she would pursue the death penalty following Beckstrom’s death.

The administration swiftly moved to tighten immigration controls. Within hours, the Department of Homeland Security ordered reviews of all asylum cases approved under Biden, as well as Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services also announced an immediate and indefinite suspension of all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals.