Noem says National Guard shooting suspect was ‘radicalized’ in the U.S.

WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that authorities believe the suspect in the National Guard shooting is radicalized in the United States and that asylum processing for migrants will resume once the administration processes the backlog of applications under new standards following the attack.

President Donald Trump said last week he would “permanently suspend” immigration from “third world countries” after the shooting suspect was identified as an Afghan national. NBC News previously reported that the suspect was granted asylum this year.

Noem said Sunday that the administration believed the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was “radicalized since he has been here in this country.”

“We believe it’s through connections in his home community and in his state, and we’re going to continue to talk to those who interacted with him,” she said.

In a separate interview on ABC News’ “This Week,” Noem said the suspect “could have been radicalized” in the United States.

NBC News reported that Lakanwal, who served alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan, arrived in the United States in 2021, under the Biden administration, but was granted asylum under the Trump administration.

Lakanwal will be charged with first-degree murder, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., said last week. National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom died last week and National Guard member Andrew Wolfe remains hospitalized.

Asked about the vetting process to approve one’s asylum application under the Trump administration, Noem argued that “the vetting happens when they enter the country, and that was completely abandoned under the Joe Biden administration.”

She also said that “the verification process took place under the Joe Biden administration.” In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed there was “little to little vetting” of people who were allowed into the United States under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome program. The Trump administration has not provided evidence that the Biden administration failed to thoroughly vet the suspect.

NBC News reported that the suspect was among a group of the most carefully vetted Afghans who worked alongside U.S. forces. He would have been examined again during his asylum application, according to several officials. He was granted asylum in April under the Trump administration.

A Biden spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sen. Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, said in a separate interview on “Meet the Press” that the Trump administration is “going to blame Joe Biden for everything.”

“It almost becomes comical at this point,” he added.

Last week, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said on

Noem said the asylum process would resume once the backlog of cases was “resolved” and reviewed according to Trump administration standards.

“People who are in this program here in this country need to be vetted according to the standards that we are implementing under President Trump to ensure that they should even be in our country and, if they are not, immediately be deported,” Noem said.

Asked if she would consider deporting people with pending asylum applications, she said: “We will if they have to.” »

“Absolutely, yes,” she added.

Kelly said in his interview that “it appears there were some audits done under the last administration.”

“It seems that they did not do enough checks before submitting his asylum application,” he added. “She talked about changing the vetting process. I think it’s a good idea.”