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U.S. authorities judge the Afghan immigrant accused of ambushing National Guard members successful Washington, D.C., was not radicalized until aft helium came to the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said connected Sunday (November 30, 2025).
Speaking connected NBC’s “Meet the Press” and ABC’s “This Week,” Ms. Noem said authorities deliberation alleged shooter Rahmanullah Lakanwal was already surviving successful Washington authorities erstwhile helium became radicalized. Investigators are seeking much accusation from household members and others, Noem said.
Authorities identified Lakanwal, 29, arsenic the fishy successful a Wednesday shooting that took spot conscionable blocks distant from the White House and which killed 1 National Guard subordinate and critically wounded another. After the shooting, U.S. President Donald Trump’s medication pointed to a deficiency of vetting of Afghans and different overseas nationals during the word of erstwhile President Joe Biden, though Lakanwal was granted asylum nether Trump.
Mr. Trump told reporters connected Sunday his medication could intermission asylum admissions into the United States for an extended period. “No clip limit, but it could beryllium a agelong time,” Mr. Trump told reporters connected Air Force One. “We person capable problems. We don’t privation those people.”
Lakanwal entered the U.S. successful 2021 arsenic portion of the Biden administration’s wide evacuation of Afghans who aided U.S. forces during the two-decade warfare successful Afghanistan arsenic the Taliban took power. He was granted asylum successful April by Trump’s administration, a authorities record reviewed by Reuters showed.
Ms. Noem’s comments suggest Lakanwal, who was portion of a CIA-backed portion successful Afghanistan, whitethorn person embraced extremism aft arriving successful the United States.
“We judge helium was radicalized since he’s been present successful this country,” Ms. Noem told NBC News. “We bash judge it was done connections successful his location assemblage and state, and we’re going to proceed to speech to those who interacted with him, who were his household members.”
Ms. Noem said U.S. officials person received “some participation” truthful acold from radical who knew Lakanwal and warned the U.S. would prosecute anyone connected to the shooting.
“Anyone who has the accusation connected this needs to cognize that we volition beryllium coming aft you, and we volition bring you to justice,” Ms. Noem said.
After Wednesday’s attack, the Trump medication took steps to clamp down connected immoderate ineligible immigration, including a frost connected processing of each asylum applications.
Ms. Noem said connected Sunday migration officials would see deporting radical with progressive asylum cases if it was warranted.
“We are going to spell done each azygous idiosyncratic that has a pending asylum claim,” she said.
