'Don't want them. Not One': Kristi Noem urges Trump to impose ‘full travel ban’ on countries sending ‘killers’ to US

The political fallout from last week’s deadly shooting near the White House intensified sharply on Monday as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she had formally recommended that President Donald Trump impose a “full travel ban” on what she described as “every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.” Her comments come amid mounting scrutiny of the Afghan man accused of killing a National Guard member in Washington, DC, and wounding another.

Why is Kristi Noem calling for a full travel ban?

Kristi Noem made the recommendation directly to the president and publicised the exchange on X, posting:

“I just met with the President.

I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.

Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom—not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS.

WE DON'T WANT THEM. NOT ONE."

Her remarks came days after she said the suspect in the White House-area shooting had been “radicalized” inside the United States rather than abroad.

Was the suspect radicalised in the US?

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press and ABC’s This Week, Noem said investigators believe the accused gunman, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was already living in Washington state when he adopted extremist views.

“We believe he was radicalized since he's been here in this country,” she told NBC News. “We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state, and we're going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him, who were his family members.”

Authorities say Rahmanullah Lakanwal is suspected of ambushing two National Guard members just blocks from the White House, killing one and critically injuring the other in Wednesday’s attack.

Kristi Noem added that US officials had received “some participation” from people who knew Lakanwal, and issued a stark warning:

“Anyone who has the information on this needs to know that we will be coming after you, and we will bring you to justice,” she said.

What is known about the suspect’s immigration history?

Rahmanullah Lakanwal entered the United States in 2021 as part of the Biden administration’s mass evacuation of Afghans who assisted American forces during the war. Although he arrived under President Biden, he was granted asylum in April under President Trump, according to a government file reviewed by Reuters.

That detail complicates the Trump administration’s assertion that the attack resulted from inadequate vetting during the Biden era.

Officials say Lakanwal previously served in a CIA-backed unit in Afghanistan. Noem’s comments suggest investigators now believe any radicalisation occurred after he arrived in the United States.

How is the Trump administration responding?

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on 30 November that his administration could halt asylum admissions altogether.

“No time limit, but it could be a long time,” he said. “We have enough problems. We don't want those people.”

Following the attack, the administration froze processing of all asylum applications and is considering additional measures. Noem said immigration authorities will review every existing asylum claim and may deport individuals if they are deemed a security risk.

“We are going to go through every single person that has a pending asylum claim,” she said.