US likely vetted National Guard shooting suspect before granting asylum

The recent shooting of two National Guard members in a busy downtown Washington, D.C. area by an Afghan refugee has reignited discussion about a Biden-era initiative that relocated thousands of Afghans who had collaborated with the U.S. during its 20-year war in Afghanistan. In 2021, the Biden administration resettled roughly 76,000 Afghan refugees in the U.S., according to Department of Homeland Security records.

The suspect, identified by officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was reportedly among the 3,300 refugees that year granted a "special immigrant visa," which accelerated entry due to prior employment with the CIA and other U.S. agencies.

Details on the Suspect

Authorities report that Lakanwal arrived from Afghanistan in 2021 under the Biden administration and later applied for asylum in 2024. Sources say he was granted asylum in April 2025 under the Trump administration. FBI Director Kash Patel claimed that the Biden administration performed "absolutely zero vetting," though records indicate some level of screening occurred. A senior U.S. official stated that the suspect underwent vetting by the National Counterterrorism Center, yielding no concerning findings, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Lakanwals work with the agency would have required prior vetting.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted that since the Trump administration, roughly 8,000 individuals have gone through similar procedures. Both Noem and Patel emphasized in congressional testimony that these cases were thoroughly reviewed to prevent potential threats.

Vetting and Resettlement Process

In 2021, Alejandro Mayorkas, then Secretary of Homeland Security, stressed to Congress that all Afghan evacuees underwent strict vetting, including biometric and biographic screenings conducted by multiple federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies. However, questions remain about the completeness of the process during the rapid evacuation following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, amid chaotic conditions in Kabul and the rise of the Taliban.

Reports described severe overcrowding in Doha, Qatar, with incomplete flight manifests and missing data on visa or citizenship status. Despite these challenges, administration officials defended the program as a humanitarian effort to protect Afghans targeted by the Taliban for aiding the U.S.

Responses and Reactions

Some conservative critics highlighted the risks of quickly resettling large numbers of refugees. "Just because an Afghan works with us does not mean they are automatically safe to bring here," said Sean Parnell, Pentagon spokesperson in 2021. However, advocacy groups argue that the vetting process remains among the most rigorous of any population entering the U.S. AfghanEvac, a nonprofit assisting Afghan refugees, stressed that Lakanwals violent act should not be generalized to the broader community.

Analysis: The Risks and Realities of Rapid Refugee Resettlement

The recent tragic incident involving the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan refugee has ignited renewed scrutiny over the U.S. refugee resettlement process. The shooting allegedly committed by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan evacuee, casts a shadow over the Biden-era initiative that relocated thousands of Afghan nationals after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. While this particular incident is deeply concerning, it is crucial to assess the broader context surrounding the resettlement efforts and the vetting process.

The rapid evacuation and relocation of approximately 76,000 Afghan refugees were conducted under the assumption that the evacuees, including those granted special immigrant visas due to their collaboration with U.S. agencies, would be thoroughly vetted. However, the chaotic nature of the evacuation in Kabul, along with the overwhelming number of people involved, raised questions about the comprehensiveness of this process. Critics, such as FBI Director Kash Patel, have argued that the vetting was insufficient, despite claims from U.S. officials that some level of screening occurred. The National Counterterrorism Center and CIA reportedly found no significant red flags in Lakanwal's background, suggesting that while the vetting process was in place, its execution could have been more thorough given the circumstances.

Despite these concerns, it is important to acknowledge the immense challenges the U.S. government faced in ensuring the safety of both American citizens and the Afghan refugees during the frantic evacuation. The goal of protecting those who assisted the U.S. during its 20-year conflict with the Taliban is undeniably humanitarian. However, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks involved in rapidly resettling large numbers of refugees without the usual time for thorough vetting.

Advocacy groups have pushed back against the notion that this isolated event should reflect poorly on the entire Afghan refugee community. They argue that the vetting process for Afghan evacuees remains among the most stringent of any refugee group. However, as more incidents like this one come to light, it is clear that the vetting and resettlement process needs to be continually assessed and adapted to ensure that it balances humanitarian goals with the safety and security of American citizens.

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• National Guard shooting suspect was likely vetted by US before being granted asylum