Alleged D.C. Shooter Entered US via Biden-Era Afghan Resettlement Program
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under former President Joe Biden insisted that Afghan evacuees were thoroughly vetted, but sources have confirmed that the alleged D.C. Guardsmen shooter, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the United States through a Biden-era rapid resettlement program. Lakanwal, who arrived in the U.S. in September 2021 following the country’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, was granted permission to stay under Operation Allies Welcome, as per DHS and FBI sources.
Biden responded to the ‘targeted’ attack in D.C. just before news broke of how Lakanwal entered the country under the same Biden-era program. The DHS and FBI sources indicated that Lakanwal was legally permitted to be in the U.S. through the program, which aimed to resettle Afghan allies. In 2021, following the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and a Taliban takeover, Biden’s administration launched a large-scale operation to support and resettle vulnerable Afghans, including those who had aided U.S. troops in the past.
Despite assurances of thorough vetting, concerns arose over the rushed nature of the evacuation and broader immigration policies. During a September 2021 press conference, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed that individuals with ‘derogatory information’ were flagged during the vetting process, though he did not specify the number. Mayorkas also announced plans to bring additional personnel from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the Transportation Security Administration to assist in the resettlement efforts.
The shooting, which resulted in two National Guardsmen being critically injured, has been investigated as a possible act of international terrorism. Former President Donald Trump criticized Biden’s administration for the ‘disastrous’ evacuation and claimed that Lakanwal’s ‘status was extended under legislation signed under President Biden.’ He also suggested the death penalty for Lakanwal, stating that ‘we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice.’
Biden, in response to the attack, expressed heartbreak over the shooting of two National Guard members and condemned all forms of violence, calling for unity against it. The Department of Homeland Security has not yet provided a comment on the claim that Lakanwal entered the country under the Biden-era program, and attempts to reach Secretary Mayorkas for a response were unsuccessful.