Afghans residing in the United States have expressed their condolences following a fatal shooting incident in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, immigrated to the U.S. four years ago under a program that provided special immigration protections for Afghans who assisted U.S. forces during the country’s withdrawal in 2021. The shooting resulted in the death of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, with her colleague Andrew Wolfe reported to be in critical condition.
In light of the tragedy, U.S. President Donald Trump has halted the processing of immigration requests from Afghans and called for a review of green card issuances from various countries. The Afghan Community Coalition of the United States has acknowledged the pain felt by the victims’ families while advocating for the continuation of immigration claims for Afghans. They emphasized the importance of recognizing the long-standing partnership between the U.S. and Afghanistan.
Members of the Afghan community have condemned the act of violence, insisting it should not be viewed as representative of their larger community. Many individuals voiced their horror regarding the incident, opting to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential backlash from Taliban forces, which regained control of Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal.
Lakanwal is reported to have had a working relationship with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, helping guard them at Kabul airport during the withdrawal. He applied for asylum in 2024, which was granted earlier this year. Community members are concerned that the political response to the shooting may further complicate the immigration process for Afghan nationals who had previously sought refuge in the U.S. They expressed feelings of uncertainty regarding their status in the country amidst ongoing challenges both in Afghanistan and the U.S.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q5w8l88dvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss