The United States has temporarily halted the processing of all immigration applications from Afghan nationals after an Afghan asylum seeker was implicated in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the U.S. in 2021 and was granted asylum earlier this year. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted that the suspect was among the unvetted individuals mass-paroled into the country under Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era initiative. The suspension of Afghan immigration processing is indefinite, pending a review of security and vetting protocols. The incident has reignited political tensions over the Biden administration’s refugee policies and the handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021.
President Donald Trump has criticized the situation, blaming Biden’s policies for allowing the suspect to enter the country. A government audit found that 55 of the 90,000 evacuees under Operation Allies Welcome were on the terrorist watchlist upon arrival or were added afterward. The Taliban recaptured Kabul during the final stage of the U.S. withdrawal, ending the 20-year Western occupation of Afghanistan. Trump described the chaotic exit as a “humiliation” and accused Biden of damaging America’s reputation.
While the immediate focus is on national security and the investigation into the shooting, the incident has sparked broader debates about the vetting process for refugees and asylum seekers. Critics argue that the suspension might have unintended consequences, including the impact on innocent Afghans who entered the U.S. under the OAW program. The Department of Homeland Security has yet to provide detailed information on how the suspension will affect current asylum cases or the processing of future applications. For now, the priority remains ensuring the safety of U.S. citizens and safeguarding national security in the wake of the tragic attack.