President Donald Trump says he wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and is promising to seek to expel millions of immigrants from the United States by revoking their legal status. He is blaming immigrants for problems from crime to housing shortages as part of “social dysfunction” in America and demanding “REVERSE MIGRATION.”
His most severe social media post against immigration since returning to the Oval Office in January came after two National Guard members were shot while patrolling the streets of the nation’s capital under his orders. One died, and the other is in critical condition.
Since the shooting not far from the White House, administration officials have pledged to reexamine millions of legal immigrants, building on a 10-month campaign to reduce the immigrant population. In a lengthy social media post late Thursday, the Republican president asserted that millions of people born outside the U.S. and now living in the country bore a large share of the blame for America’s societal ills.
Here’s the latest:
Who are the two Guard members who were shot?
Beckstrom, 20, and Wolfe, 24, were deployed with the West Virginia National Guard to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s crime-fighting mission that involved taking over the local police department. There were nearly 2,200 Guard members from various states in D.C. for the mission.
Both Beckstrom and Wolfe were on orders in Washington since August, according to the West Virginia National Guard.
Beckstrom, a resident of Summersville, West Virginia, had volunteered for the operation “to ensure the safety and security of our nation’s capital,” the West Virginia National Guard said in a statement. She had graduated from Webster County High School in June 2023, and enlisted with the guard that month, serving “with distinction” as a military police officer, the guard said.
Wolfe, who is from Martinsburg, West Virginia, entered service in February 2019. He had graduated from Musselman High School as part of the Class of 2019, said Karla Troppman, a spokesperson for Berkeley County Schools in West Virginia.
Wolfe remains in ‘very critical condition,’ West Virginia governor says
Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a proclamation Friday requesting that all West Virginians observe a statewide moment of silence or prayer at 2:15 p.m. to honor Wolfe and Beckstrom.
He also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death.
Wolfe serves with the 167th Force Support Squadron and Beckstrom served with the 863rd Military Police Company, the governor said in a news release.
“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” Morrisey said. “Their courage and commitment to duty represent the very best of our state.”
