Topline
President Donald Trump said the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday was an “act of terror,” and called for the re-examination of Afghan immigrants who entered the U.S. under the Biden administration after an Afghan man was identified as the suspected attacker.
Nation Guard move through the area following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House.
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Key Facts
In a video address, President Donald Trump said the two National Guard members were “shot at point-blank range in a monstrous, ambush-style attack just steps away from the White House.”
Trump said the “heinous assault” was “an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror,” adding that it was a “crime against our entire nation…[and] a crime against humanity.”
The president said the Department of Homeland Security is “confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth.”
“He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021,” Trump claimed, adding, “his status was extended under legislation signed by President Biden.”
Trump said the attack underscored that the “single greatest national security threat facing our nation” was the millions of immigrants who entered the country during the Biden administration, who he claimed were “unknown and unvetted.”
Trump said his administration will now “re-examine every single” Afghan immigrant who entered the country under Biden and remove anyone “who does not belong here, or add benefit to our country.”
What Do We Know About The Suspension Of Entry Of Afghans?
Shortly after Trump’s address, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced: “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols. The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.” This processing pause will affect Afghans in the U.S. seeking asylum, attempting to obtain green cards, and pursuing other immigration procedures.