Sen. Tommy Tuberville called for the government to ban and deport Islamic immigrants following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., allegedly by an Afghan national.
“The Afghan terrorist who shot 2 National Guard heroes in D.C. was welcomed into this country with open arms by Joe Biden,” Mr. Tuberville, Alabama Republican, posted on X late Wednesday, referring to the former president.
“We must IMMEDIATELY BAN all ISLAM immigrants and DEPORT every single Islamist who is living among us just waiting to attack,” he posted.
His comments come after the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it would indefinitely halt immigration applications from Afghanistan. The agency said the pause would be indefinite and is “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”
The suspect has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. A relative told NBC News that Mr. Lakanwal served in the Afghan army and had assisted during the war, working with U.S. special forces.
Under the Biden administration, some 80,000 Afghans were brought out of their country in 2021 as a way to keep them safe from retaliation by the Taliban.
SEE ALSO: Homeland Security suspends processing for Afghan immigrants after ambush on National Guard
Sen. Jim Banks, Indiana Republican, also called for Afghans who were let in under the Biden administration to be located.
“Joe Biden rushed tens of thousands of Afghans into our nation. Today, we faced horrible consequences for this. I call on Secretary Kristi Noem to immediately locate and vet all of the Afghans let in by Joe Biden as part of ‘Operation Allies Welcome,’” Mr. Banks posted on X.
Vice President J.D. Vance said he criticized the policy in 2021, but “friends sent me messages calling me a racist. It was a clarifying moment.”
“They shouldn’t have been in our country,” Mr. Vance posted on X.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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