The Indian-origin man who rammed a truck into security barriers near the White House on Monday and said that he wanted to kill US President Joe Biden, is not a citizen of the country, prosecutors told a court on Wednesday, reported NBS News.
A government prosecutor told the court that 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula was not a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the country. However, later a Department of Justice official clarified that Kandula held a green card, which made him a lawful permanent resident.
Green card holders are non-citizens who are authorised to live permanently within the United States.
On Monday, as authorities took Kandula into custody after he crashed the truck, the 19-year-old took out a Nazi flag from his backpack. He later told the authorities that he wanted to kill the US president and admired Adolf Hitler.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Special Assistant US Attorney Alexander Schneider told the Washington DC magistrate court that Kandula was a flight risk and his attack was aimed at disrupting the government, reported The Washington Post.
Kandula has been charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or harm a president, vice president or family member, assaulting with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and destruction of federal property in excess of $1,000 and trespassing. More charges could be added against him.
Immigration Attorney Cori Alonso-Yoder said she could not see any scenario under which Kandula would be allowed to stay in the US. “Most likely, yes, he will be deported if convicted,” she said. “If he is convicted of those facts, then it is most likely a removable charge.”
The attorney added that Kandula’s family, however, will not face deportation threats.
According to Kandula’s schoolmate, Errion Barfield, the 19-year-old studied at the Marquette High School in Chesterfield in Missouri. The city has a sizable Indian American community, reported NBC.
Barfield described Kandula as “quiet and kind” and said that kept to himself and “wouldn’t hurt a fly”.
Barfield told The Washington Post that he was surprised that Kandula wanted to kill the US president.
Barfield also said that he had never known Kandula to be espousing support for the Nazis or suffering from any mental illness.
Kandula has said that his goal was to “get to the White House, seize power and be put in charge of the nation”, according to an affidavit filed in a US District Court on Tuesday. When asked how he planned to seize power, Kandula said he would “kill the president if that’s what I have to do and would hurt anyone that would stand in my way”. He said that he had been planning the attack for six months.
Kandula told the investigators that he admired the “great history” of the Nazis and their “authoritarian nature, eugenics and their one world order”. He also said that he looked up to Hitler “because he was a strong leader”, the affidavit stated.
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