Afghan Community Responds to Washington DC Shooting, Appeals to Trump

Sat Nov 29 2025 09:59:08 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Afghans living in the United States express their condemnation of the DC shooting that left a National Guard member dead and urge President Trump not to suspend immigration processing for Afghans.

Following a tragic shooting in Washington DC that resulted in the death of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and the injury of another, members of the Afghan community in the US have condemned the act and sought to clarify that the shooter does not represent them. They call on President Trump to reconsider immigration policies affecting Afghan nationals and to ensure that previous partnerships are honored.

Afghans living in the US have condemned Wednesday's deeply tragic deadly shooting attack in Washington DC, while stressing that the suspect - who moved to the US from Afghanistan four years ago - does not represent them.

The alleged gunman, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered America under a programme that offered special immigration protections to Afghans who worked with the US in the wake of the its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed in Wednesday's shooting, and a colleague, Andrew Wolfe, 24, is said to be fighting for his life.

In response, US President Donald Trump has halted the processing of all immigration requests from Afghans, ordered a review of green cards issued to individuals from 19 countries, and threatened a wider crackdown on migrants from what he calls third-world countries.

The Afghan Community Coalition of United States expressed its sympathy for families of the victims, calling for a comprehensive investigation but urging the US government not to delay or suspend Afghan immigration claims.

Twenty years of Afghan-US partnership must not be forgotten, the coalition's statement said, nodding to the two-decade effort launched by the US in 2001 to overthrow Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and establish security in the country.

Afghans living in America told the BBC they had been horrified by the Washington DC attack, which they emphasised was the act of just one person.

They spoke anonymously out of fear of reprisals by the Taliban, which took back control of Afghanistan following the US troop withdrawal in 2021.

One Afghan described Wednesday's incident as deeply tragic, noting the timing ahead of Thanksgiving, and amid a highly charged political environment in Washington DC. However, he highlighted that the shooting was an individual criminal offence, not representative of a community.

Another Afghan who also moved to the US following the withdrawal labelled Wednesday's shooting really shocking and suspected that it was an individual crime without support from others. They urged that the attack should not reflect on the entire community.

This attack comes as Afghans continue to face threats and uncertainty both in the US and in their home country. They call for a fair and dignified approach to immigration, ensuring that their contributions and sacrifices are not overlooked.