The Trump administration is pointing fingers at a program run by the Biden administration for allowing an Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., to enter the U.S. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, came to the U.S. on September 8, 2021, through Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), as revealed by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Lakanwal had collaborated with the U.S. government, including the CIA, in Kandahar.
Lakanwal applied for asylum during Biden’s presidency, but it was approved under the Trump administration in April. Following the incident, Trump administration officials, including the former president, criticized the program for allegedly lacking proper security vetting for entrants.
In response, the Trump administration halted processing immigration applications from Afghanistan and initiated a review of asylum cases approved under Biden’s term. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that the Biden administration had failed to thoroughly vet applicants on a significant scale.
Operation Allies Welcome was launched by President Biden in August 2021 to assist Afghan nationals, particularly interpreters and translators who supported the U.S. during the conflict and feared Taliban retaliation. Those entering the U.S. under the program were granted two years of humanitarian parole and were expected to apply for asylum to remain in the country.
The vetting process for Afghan individuals included biometric and biographic screenings to ensure their eligibility for entry. However, concerns were raised by some Republicans regarding the effectiveness of the vetting process, with questions about potential security risks being allowed into the country alongside allies.
Reports from the DHS inspector general in September 2022 highlighted deficiencies in the vetting process, including missing critical data for screening evacuees and challenges in tracking individuals who did not stay at designated safe havens. The criticism extended to the Biden administration’s handling of Afghan evacuations without thorough vetting, raising concerns about national security implications.
Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac, emphasized that Afghan immigrants and allies undergo extensive security vetting upon resettlement in the U.S. His organization denounced violence and stressed that the actions of one individual should not tarnish the entire community’s reputation.
