The recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., one of whom later died, has prompted significant changes to immigration policies under the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, as an Afghan national who entered the U.S. through the Afghan resettlement program initiated during the Biden administration.
Republican officials have claimed that Lakanwal was not adequately vetted before his entry, although no concrete evidence has been provided to support this assertion. In response to the incident, the DHS announced a suspension of all immigration requests related to Afghan nationals, pending a review of existing security and vetting protocols.
Lakanwal arrived in the U.S. on September 8, 2021, as part of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), a program designed to help vulnerable Afghans resettle after the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan. Since the launch of OAW, over 190,000 Afghans have been resettled under this and another related program. Most Afghan nationals who entered via OAW were granted temporary parole, allowing them to stay for two years, subject to certain requirements such as medical screenings and vaccinations.
Regarding vetting, a 2022 audit by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) raised concerns about the accuracy of information used to vet evacuees, citing incomplete or inaccurate data in U.S. Government databases. Concerns linger about the program’s effectiveness, although another audit earlier this year praised the FBI’s role in screening.
The White House has not clarified Lakanwal’s specific vetting process, but past statements indicate a belief that the current immigration policies have left the country vulnerable. The FBI and other agencies were involved in biometric data collection as part of the vetting process for those entering under OAW.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly3e1261dko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss