Three days after two National Guard members were shot in downtown Washington DC, federal officials have announced a halt to all asylum decisions pending enhanced vetting procedures.
The shooting occurred around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday near Farragut Square, a busy downtown area, when soldiers Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe came under fire while on duty. Top officials characterized the incident as a targeted ambush in which both service members sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The FBI is investigating the shooting as a terrorist attack, reflecting the deliberate nature of the assault and the victims’ status as uniformed military personnel serving in the nation’s capital.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded to the attack by ordering 500 additional National Guard members deployed to Washington DC, bolstering security in the wake of the violence.
“You picked the wrong target, the wrong city,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “And the wrong country, and you’ll be sorry for the violence and evil that you perpetrated in our nation’s capital.”
During a Thursday morning briefing, senior officials including Pirro, FBI Director Kash Patel, and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser provided the first comprehensive update on the investigation. They revealed that the suspect, an Afghan national, had traveled across the country from Washington state specifically to target the National Guard members.
The suspect previously worked alongside the CIA in Afghanistan and entered the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, a program that provided immigration protections to Afghans who assisted U.S. forces following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“I want to be very clear with the judge and everyone that’s reported here, somebody drove across the country, came to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” Mayor Bowser stated. “And that person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. These young people should be at home in West Virginia with their families.”
Sarah Beckstrom succumbed to her injuries on Thanksgiving night at a hospital with her father present. She was 20 years old. Her father shared a brief message acknowledging her death: “My baby girl has passed to glory. If I don’t talk to you, don’t be offended. This has been a horrible tragedy.”
Andrew Wolfe remains hospitalized in critical condition, fighting for his life according to officials. Both service members were from West Virginia, and their home communities are processing the tragedy while Wolfe’s condition remains uncertain.
On Friday evening, Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced via social media that the agency has suspended all asylum decisions. “USCIS has halted all asylum decisions until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” Edlow stated.
The policy change represents a dramatic shift in immigration processing and affects potentially thousands of pending asylum applications. Asylum seekers typically wait months or years for decisions on their cases, and the indefinite suspension creates additional uncertainty for those already in the system.
President Donald Trump has gone further, announcing plans to “permanently pause migration from all third-world countries,” a sweeping policy proposal that would affect immigration from dozens of nations if implemented.
The National Guard deployment in Washington DC numbered 2,188 members before the shooting, with 180 of those service members coming from West Virginia. The additional 500 troops ordered by Hegseth will increase the military presence in the capital as officials assess ongoing security threats.
The incident raises questions about vetting procedures for individuals admitted through special immigration programs designed to protect those who assisted U.S. military and intelligence operations overseas. Operation Allies Welcome specifically targeted Afghans who worked with American forces and faced potential Taliban retaliation after the U.S. withdrawal.
Critics of the program point to this incident as evidence that screening procedures were inadequate, while supporters note that the vast majority of individuals admitted through the program have integrated peacefully and that isolated incidents should not condemn an entire population.
The suspect reportedly underwent vetting both when he began working with the CIA in Afghanistan and again when he traveled to the United States, according to officials familiar with the process. How an individual who passed those screenings came to carry out what investigators are treating as a terrorist attack will be a central focus of the ongoing investigation.
The cross-country journey from Washington state to the nation’s capital suggests premeditation and planning. Investigators will examine the suspect’s activities, communications, and movements to determine whether he acted alone or received support from others.
The targeting of uniformed National Guard members on American soil represents a particularly brazen attack. Service members deployed domestically for security missions do not typically expect to face the combat scenarios they might encounter in overseas deployments.
West Virginia communities are mourning Beckstrom’s death while holding vigils for Wolfe’s recovery. The young service members volunteered to serve over the Thanksgiving holiday, taking them away from family gatherings to fulfill security duties in Washington.
The prosecution of the suspect will likely involve federal terrorism charges given the FBI’s characterization of the incident and the deliberate targeting of military personnel. U.S. Attorney Pirro’s comments suggest prosecutors will pursue maximum penalties available under law.
The suspension of asylum decisions and proposed migration pause represent immediate policy responses to the attack, though their relationship to preventing future incidents remains unclear. Asylum seekers and immigrants admitted through special programs like Operation Allies Welcome undergo different processes and legal frameworks.
