Following the tragic shooting deaths of two National Guardsmen in Washington earlier this week, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has called for an immediate ban on all “Muslim immigrants” entering the U.S. and the deportation of potentially dangerous “Islamists.”
This statement was shared on Tuberville’s X account on Wednesday, just hours before the announcement of the death of one of the victims, 20-year-old Sara Beckstrom, who succumbed to her injuries despite medical efforts.
Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized in critical condition after being shot multiple times while working alongside Beckstrom near the Farragut West subway station.
“The Afghan terrorist who shot and killed two National Guard heroes in Washington, D.C., was welcomed to this country with open arms by Joe Biden,” Tuberville stated on Wednesday night. “We must immediately ban all Muslim immigration and deport every single Islamist living among us just waiting to attack.”
The shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Rakamal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who entered the U.S. under a program designed to accept those who supported American forces during the Afghanistan war.
Reportedly armed with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver, Rakamal traveled from Bellingham, Washington, situated about 90 miles north of Seattle, where he lived with his wife and children.
According to a report from the New York Post, Rakamal and his family were resettled in the U.S. four years ago after being part of Unit Zero, a CIA-backed Afghan special forces unit accused of committing war crimes.
After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Rakamal was provided an apartment in Bellingham with a monthly rent of $2,000, as noted by neighbors.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe expressed discontent regarding the Biden administration’s decisions, stating that following the withdrawal from Afghanistan, bringing Rakamal to the U.S. was justified due to his affiliation with the U.S. government, including the CIA, during operations in Afghanistan.
“That person, and many others, should never have been allowed to come here,” Ratcliffe added. “Our citizens and military members deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden administration’s disastrous failures.”
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Trump administration swiftly decided to halt all processing of entry applications from Afghan nationals. President Trump also mandated a comprehensive review of asylum applications granted during Biden’s presidency.
