President Donald Trump has declared the shooting of two National Guardsmen near the White House on Wednesday a terrorist act, ordering the immediate stop of the immigration process of Afghan citizens, after the shooter was identified as an Afghan national.

Mr Trump, in a broadcast, declared the shooting a “terror act”, while the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service announced the immediate stop of the immigration process for every Afghan national.

“Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols,” USCIS announced in a statement on Wednesday.

It added, “The protection and safety of our homeland and of the American people remains our singular focus and mission.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a statement, identified the shooter as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, “a criminal alien from Afghanistan”, who entered the U.S. under former President Joe Biden’s administration.

“The Biden Administration let this terrorist into the country as part of their Operation Allies Welcome program on September 8, 2021. This program let in thousands of unvetted Afghan nationals, including terrorists, into our country,” the DHS statement said.

Condemning the attack, U.S. Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem said, “The suspect who shot our brave National Guardsmen is an Afghan national who was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome on September 8, 2021, under the Biden Administration.

“I will not utter this depraved individual’s name. He should be starved of the glory he so desperately wants.”