U.S. toughens charges against Afghan after National Guard member shot dead

The U.S. Justice Department has stepped up charges against an Afghan citizen suspected in the deadly attack near the White House. According to the U.S. attorney for Washington, D. C. Jeanine Pirro will face first-degree murder charges for the shooting death of a National Guard member and the attempted murder of another member.

The original charges included three counts of assault with intent to commit armed homicide and three counts of possession of a weapon during a crime of violence. The shooting of the National Guardsmen claimed the life of a 20-year-old female officer, while her colleague, four years older, is fighting for his life in hospital.

The case has significant political resonance. President Donald Trump announced after the incident that his administration would "permanently suspend" immigration from all "third world countries." He did not specify which countries the measure would include, nor exactly how it would be implemented.

The goal, however, is to revoke federal benefits for non-citizens, denaturalize those deemed a threat to "homeland security," and deport anyone who poses a security risk or "will not merge with Western civilization."

Trump attributed the incident to immigration vetting failures during the Joe Biden administration. The attacker, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the U.S. in 2021 as part of a resettlement program designed for Afghans after U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan.

The administration has also suspended the processing of immigration applications of Afghan citizens indefinitely.

(reuters, max)