The president of the USA, donald trumponce again toughened its anti-immigration discourse after a 29-year-old Afghan citizen, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was detained and identified as a suspect in the shooting of members of the National Guard a few meters from the White House.
The attack, which occurred near a subway station in downtown Washington, left two soldiers in critical condition and unleashed a devastating political reaction.
According to EFEthe detainee entered the United States in 2021 under the Operation Allies Welcome program, promoted by the Biden Administration after the fall of Kabul.
So far, local authorities have not offered details about possible motivations for the attack or its previous history.
Trump raises his tone and freezes immigration procedures
After learning the nationality of the suspect, Trump released an official message in which he described the incident as an “act of terror” and held Biden directly responsible for allowing the entry of the Afghan in 2021.
“We must re-examine every foreigner coming from Afghanistan,” he said before referring to the detainee as “an animal.”
Minutes after the presidential pronouncement, the Citizenship and Immigration Service announced the immediate and indefinite suspension of all immigration procedures related to Afghan citizensclaiming a review of security protocols and background checks.
Afghan community support groups asked that the case not be used to “stigmatize thousands of people seeking protection,” and demanded a fair legal process for the suspect.
Reinforced tension in the capital
The attack occurred in an area that is part of the White House security perimeter and where some 2,500 military personnel have already operated since August.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the deployment of 500 additional troops to increase surveillance, calling the incident a direct threat to the security of the federal government.
For its part, the Department of Justice took advantage of the climate of tension to request before an appeals court that the National Guard be kept on duty beyond December 11, the date on which it was to withdraw by court order.
A political storm has hit the National Guard since Trump ordered its deployment in some American cities, he points out cnn.
Confusion over the condition of the injured
At first, the governor of West Virginia erroneously reported that both guardsmen had died. He later rectified it.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that The two soldiers remain hospitalized, “in critical condition”and asked for “a prayer for them.”
The agents, from Virginia, were armed at the time of the attack, he said. EFE.
So far, authorities have not detailed how the exchange of gunfire occurred or who managed to repel the fire.
He shooting, which occurred about 500 meters from the White Housetemporarily kept passersby and workers in the area in shelter, while security forces cordoned off the area and ordered them to take shelter in nearby buildings.
