Top Story

 by Brittney Melton

NPR

Today's top story

Sarah Beckstrom, one of two West Virginia National Guard members who were shot in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, has died. President Trump announced the 20-year-old’s death during a Thanksgiving call to service members. Beckstrom and the other Guard member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, were on patrol a few blocks away from the White House when the alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, opened fire, Wolfe remains in critical condition. In the wake of this shooting, the Trump administration is launching a comprehensive “reexamination” of thousands of refugees and migrants who have been admitted to the U.S. and granted green cards.

U.S. Attorney’s Office/AP

🎧 Lakanwal served in Afghanistan alongside U.S. forces as part of an elite counter-terrorism unit connected to the CIA and the military, NPR’s Brian Mann tells Up First. The alleged gunman applied for asylum during the Biden administration and was granted protection in April of this year under the Trump administration. Trump has called for an effort to “denaturalize migrants” and “deport” foreign nationals. Mann notes that the Trump administration's narrative suggests that Lakanwal was allowed into the U.S. without proper vetting, indicating that this could be a broader issue. But sources like the nonprofit group AfghanEvac tell NPR that Lakanwal would have been scrutinized repeatedly in Afghanistan and before he arrived in the U.S. Experts say that while the vetting process for Afghan refugees was audited and found to be imperfect, it was thorough. They also emphasize that the majority of refugees from Afghanistan are living in the U.S. peacefully.