Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging the refederalization of Washington, D.C., after the shooting of two National Guard members in the city.
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the United States in the wake of the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal of 2021, shot two members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., just before Thanksgiving. One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, died of her injuries, while the other, Andrew Wolfe, remains in the hospital.
The Trump Administration thus implemented a freeze on processing visas, green cards, and asylum claims from Afghanistan and 18 other countries.
In August, Trump federalized the Washington Metropolitan Police and deployed the National Guard to the capital to combat high violent crime rates, which Rep. Luna had previously applauded and argued should last indefinitely.
After all, the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 grants the area limited self-governance with Congressional oversight. The President can usually assume control of law enforcement for 30 days in emergencies.
With the latest shooting, Rep. Luna is calling for it again, saying, "This was not a random act of violence. This was an attack on uniformed service members who were deployed."
"Specialist Sarah Beckstrom did not die on some distant battlefield or in a war-torn foreign country, the Florida Congresswoman continued. "She died here, in the United States, protecting American citizens. And Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe continues to fight for his life. Washington, D.C. is in crisis, and temporary measures are not enough."
Additionally, Luna suggested that every time federal intervention is lifted, crime resurges, and thus, "The capital of the United States cannot be allowed to deteriorate into a place where criminals feel empowered to murder the very people protecting it."
"Specialist Beckstrom deserved better. Andrew Wolfe deserves better. Every Guardsman, every federal employee, and every American in this city deserves better," Luna concluded.
