Trump administration reviewing all asylum cases approved under Joe Biden, says DHS after White House shooting

A day after two National Guards were critically injured in a shooting near the white House by an Afghan man, the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday said that the Trump administration is reviewing all asylum cases approved under former President Joe Biden

"Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols," reported Reuters quoting a statement from the department spokesperson Tricia Mclaughlin.

“The Trump Administration is also reviewing all asylum cases approved under the Biden Administration, which failed to vet these applicants on a massive scale.”

On Wednesday, specialist Sarah Beckstrom (20 and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe (24) were shot by suspect — a 29-year-old Afghan national named Rahmanullah Lakanwal — who entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, is currently facing three charges of intent to kill while armed.

President Trump, who has described Afghanistan as ‘a hellhole on earth’, already planned to review every Afghan who entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome and reiterated that goal after Wednesday's shooting.

“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” Trump said in a message released on social media, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”

Trump also used his message to attack refugees from Somalia who have settled in Minnesota, saying they are “ripping apart that once-great state.”

The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington after the incident.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the United States is treating the White House as a terrorism investigation.

Earlier in the day, addressing a press meet, Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for DC said that a lone gunman opened fire without provocation, ambush style, armed with a 357 Smith and Wesson revolver.

“He drove his vehicle cross-country from the state of Washington with the intended target of coming to our nation's capital. The charges that are appropriate now are three counts of assaults — with intent to kill while armed, and violation of the DC code. He will also be charged with possession of a firearm. We intend to monitor what the charges will be depending upon the conditions of the guards,” Pirro said.