The White House has labeled the 29-year-old Afghan national accused of ambushing two members of the West Virginia National Guard near the White House on November 26, 2025, as a “foreign terrorist” who was not adequately vetted by the Biden administration.

The shooting resulted in the death of 20-year-old US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, while US Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

During the press briefing, on December 1, at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mourned the victims and praised their service. “Sarah and Andrew represent the very best of America, two young patriots who were willing to put on the uniform and risk their lives in defense of their fellow Americans… Sarah and Andrew are heroes, and we will never forget their sacrifice,” she said.

Leavitt stated that the accused, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and faces the most severe penalties allowed.

She argued that Lakanwal arrived in the United States in September 2021 during what she described as the “chaotic wake” of the Biden administration’s “botched withdrawal” from Afghanistan. 

Calling the departure one of the most “embarrassing moments” in American history, she said its consequences continue to “haunt” the country. According to Leavitt, nearly 100,000 Afghans were brought into the United States with little to “no vetting,” and thousands were flagged for “national security, public safety and fraud concerns.”

Leavitt said the Thanksgiving-week shooting serves as a reminder that public safety threats may already be present inside the country. She emphasized that President Trump was elected on a promise to identify and remove such threats and has begun taking steps toward that goal.

While noting progress, Leavitt said more action is needed. She highlighted that the administration is reassessing the cases of Afghans brought to the United States during the 2021 evacuation and warned, “Any individual who threatens our national security or our citizenry will be subject to removal.”

Leavitt also said President Trump has permanently paused migration from countries considered high-risk and criticized what she described as decades of “self-destructive immigration policies” that she claimed have strained public resources and impacted American workers.

Citing a recent New York Times report on allegations of fraud involving Somalian migrants in Minnesota, she argued that the administration is ending what she called an “America Last” approach.

Defending the President’s stance, she said, “His position is rooted in common sense,” adding that recent events reinforce the need to carry out the administration’s mass deportation strategy. She warned against providing amnesty to “millions upon millions of unvetted illegal aliens” and pointed to what she described as widespread fraud in asylum processes.

Leavitt maintained that past administrations had not sufficiently ensured that prospective immigrants would “add value,” “contribute to our communities,” or assimilate. She said current leaders have a duty to protect national identity, secure borders and rebuild a legal immigration system that prioritizes American interests.

“President Trump has no higher responsibility than to defend our homeland and our people, and he will never waver in doing so,” she said.

Addressing questions about the administration’s latest immigration restrictions, Leavitt said the government has taken significant measures to limit both legal and illegal migration. She noted that a travel ban has been implemented for 19 countries, including Afghanistan, and that Special Immigrant Visas have been halted. She said refugee admissions for Afghans are suspended and currently “essentially at zero,” except for Afrikaners fleeing persecution in South Africa.

Leavitt added that the State Department has intensified visa scrutiny, revoked visas deemed misaligned with US interests, paused asylum adjudications for further vetting, and reinforced border security to prevent unauthorized entry.

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