National Guard shooting in D.C. sparks immigration crackdown
Image: Nathan Howard
On Wednesday, two National Guard members were shot and seriously wounded in an ambush-style attack just blocks from the White House in Washington, D.C.
One National Guard member, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, died from her injuries one day later. The other, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition. Both were deployed from West Virginia as part of the Trump admin’s recent order for federal law enforcement to combat crime in D.C.
The suspected shooter, a 29-year-old man from Afghanistan, is in custody. He first immigrated to the US in 2021 through a special visa program after working with the CIA during the Afghanistan War, and was eventually granted asylum in April 2025.
- The suspect’s motive in the attack, described by President Trump as an “act of terror,” is currently unclear.
- US officials say he drove from his home in the state of Washington with a goal of staging an attack in America’s capital.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem yesterday said authorities believe the suspect was “radicalized" after coming to the US from Afghanistan, and that it occurred “through connections in his home community and state.”
The shooting has prompted swift immigration changes
In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, the Trump admin temporarily halted all US asylum decisions in general, and paused issuing visas for Afghan nationals.
Trump officials also blamed the Biden admin for inadequately vetting the alleged shooter, and said the gov’t plans to reopen cases for all ~233,000 refugees who entered the US under Biden, and possibly strip them of their legal status.
- Separately, President Trump pledged to “permanently pause” all legal immigration from what he called “third world countries” in response to the National Guard shooting, and also pushed for “reverse migration.”
- This includes a “rigorous reexamination” of all green cards (permanent US residence cards) issued to individuals from countries of concern, a list of 19 nations that includes Afghanistan, Cuba, and Iran.
Looking ahead…Federal officials say the suspected shooter will face first-degree murder charges. Investigations into his motive are still ongoing.
📊 Flash poll: In general, do you agree with the new federal immigration changes enacted in response to last week’s National Guard shooting in D.C.?
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Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that America should unequivocally honor the National Guard members’ sacrifice—but also not lose sight of the uniquely American nature of the tragedy, in a nation with more guns than any other country.
- Others contend that punishing law-abiding refugees who risked everything to help America is not going to inspire foreign friends in the future, though some dangerous people brought into the country by the Biden admin’s Afghanistan failures should be identified and repatriated.
- “The Uniquely American Heartbreak of Yet Another Tragedy” –NY Times Editorial Board
- “The National Guard ambush” –WaPo Editorial Board
- “‘Re-Vetting’ Hundreds of Thousands of Refugees Is an Overreaction” –Patricia Lopez, Bloomberg
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that Democratic lawmakers have strongly contributed to the atmosphere in which the attack on the National Guard occurred by describing their legal deployment to D.C. as an “invasion.”
- Others contend that the reason for the alleged shooter’s turn from Afghan partner to terrorist is an important question to answer, but the shooting shouldn't condemn all who assisted the US in the Afghanistan War and now live here.
- “What drove the DC shooter?” –Byron York, Washington Examiner
- “The Ambush on the National Guard” –WSJ Editorial Board
- “DC National Guard shooting follows months of Democrats’ stoking fear about military ‘invasion’” –Chris Nesi, NY Post
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