National Security Leaders’ Statement on National Guard Shooting

Contact: Roberto Estrada 
restrada@monumentadvocacy.com

WASHINGTON – The Council on National Security and Immigration (CNSI) today released a statement on the fatal National Guard shooting in Washington, D.C.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Sarah Beckstrom, and we are holding Andrew Wolfe and his family in our thoughts as he continues his fight for his life. Our hearts are with everyone harmed by this horrific act of violence. We unequivocally condemn the actions of the gunman, whose attack strikes at the very core of what we stand for as a nation. This senseless violence threatens to undermine years of dedicated work by Afghans who served alongside American warfighters, risking everything to support the U.S.

“It is critical to our national security to continually review existing security and vetting procedures for vulnerabilities, including post-resettlement radicalization, while strengthening and innovating processes where needed, keeping our systems strong and sophisticated. Afghans who resettled in the United States have gone through several rigorous, multi-layered, multi-agency vetting processes. A risk-based review of already admitted asylees is needed to achieve the desired outcomes without abandoning Afghan allies who helped U.S. forces fight the Taliban over two decades.

“It is vital to our national security to demonstrate that we will protect those who stand with us in critical times. If potential allies do not trust us to honor our commitments, we will have weakened support in future conflicts and American military lives will be put in danger.”

###

Leaders of CNSI speak and act solely in their individual capacities, and their views should not be attributed to any organization with which they are affiliated.

About CNSI: The Council on National Security and Immigration is a group of American national security leaders who believe immigration reforms are imperative to bolster and maintain the United States’ global leadership in the 21st century. Find out more here: www.cnsiusa.org