Following a National Guard shooting in DC, questions surrounding the vetting of Afghan evacuees have resurfaced, fueled by President Trump’s strong criticism of immigration policies. However, the accused’s decade-long history of US intelligence cooperation and recent asylum approval present a nuanced picture far beyond simple “vetting failure” claims.
A recent shooting in Washington, D.C., involving an Afghan national has rapidly escalated into a heated national debate over immigration policy and the thoroughness of the US vetting process for refugees. The incident, where two National Guard members were shot, has become a flashpoint for political rhetoric, particularly from President Donald Trump, who has swiftly pointed blame toward previous administrations and called for sweeping crackdowns on immigrants.
While the immediate political reaction focuses on assigning fault, the complex reality surrounding the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, paints a picture far more intricate than a simple breakdown in security protocols. His background, including extensive cooperation with US intelligence agencies, highlights the multifaceted nature of vetting individuals from war-torn regions and the challenges of integrating them into American society.
The Incident and President Trump’s Immediate Response
The shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on November 26, 2025, immediately drew national attention and ignited political controversy. President Trump seized on the event, casting it as direct evidence of a failure in the US immigration system. In a video address from his Mar-a-Lago club, Trump asserted that the attack “underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation.” He explicitly blamed the Biden administration, claiming that the suspect, a 29-year-old Afghan, was among “millions of foreigners Biden allowed into the US without proper vetting.”
Trump’s statements directly linked the incident to his broader agenda of tightening immigration controls. He declared, “We must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country,” signaling a renewed push for restrictive immigration policies.
The Complex Case of Rahmanullah Lakanwal
The alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was one of over 190,000 Afghans admitted into the US following the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. These programs were specifically designed to resettle individuals who had provided crucial assistance to the US during its two-decade involvement in the country. Lakanwal’s journey to the US and subsequent asylum status is marked by a long history of cooperation with American forces.
Beginning around 2011, Lakanwal reportedly worked with the CIA and various US military and intelligence agencies, even serving in an elite Afghan counterterrorism unit. This puts him in a category of individuals highly vulnerable to retribution once the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, necessitating his urgent evacuation from Kabul in August 2021.
A History of Multi-Layered Vetting
Contrary to claims of a singular vetting failure, Lakanwal underwent multiple layers of screening over more than a decade. His initial vetting by the CIA in 2011 focused on his suitability to work with US personnel in Afghanistan, involving checks against counterterrorism databases. A senior US official confirmed that “nothing came up” in these reviews, indicating no known ties to terror organizations.
Post-evacuation in 2021, Lakanwal endured further scrutiny, first in a Middle Eastern country and then continuously while residing in the US. Notably, he was granted permanent asylum in April 2025 by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a component of the Department of Homeland Security, during the current Trump administration’s tenure. This approval followed years of regular vetting by various US government agencies.
The 2021 Withdrawal and Its Legacy
The chaotic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021 placed immense pressure on the government to evacuate vulnerable allies rapidly. This urgency, while humanitarian, undeniably created challenges for thorough screening. A Justice Department Inspector General’s audit, released in June 2025, examined the FBI’s role in screening Afghan evacuees. The audit concluded there were “no systemic breakdowns” in the multi-layered vetting process established at the time [ Justice Department Inspector General ].
However, the report also acknowledged that the “normal processes required to determine whether individuals posed a threat to national security and public safety were overtaken by the need to immediately evacuate and protect the lives of Afghans, increasing the potential that bad actors could try to exploit the expedited evacuation.” This crucial caveat highlights the inherent tension between rapid humanitarian evacuation and meticulous security screening.
Conflicting Views on Vetting Integrity
The debate over the adequacy of vetting for Afghan evacuees has deep roots. In 2023 and 2024, intelligence from allies led the FBI to raise concerns about the thoroughness of screening for Afghan and Central Asian asylum seekers. Issues such as rampant use of fraudulent identification documents and the involvement of “fixers” with potential terrorist ties prompted reinvestigations and some removals, underscoring that vulnerabilities have been an ongoing concern.
However, opinions diverge on whether these concerns translate into a systemic failure. Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, a non-profit aiding Afghan resettlement, strongly argues against a systemic vetting issue. He emphasized that individuals like Lakanwal underwent extensive, continuous screening, from their departure from Afghanistan to their asylum approval in the US. VanDiver characterized Lakanwal’s actions as those of “one man who…took a deranged action that is not broadly indicative of the Afghan community at all.”
Conversely, NCTC Director Joe Kent, appointed by President Trump, differentiated between vetting for combat service and for permanent US residency. Kent claimed that Lakanwal was vetted only for his role fighting alongside American forces in Afghanistan, “NOT vetted for his suitability to come to America and live among us as a neighbor.” Kent also accused the Biden administration of using inadequate standards during the 2021 withdrawal, resulting in over 85,000 Afghans being admitted without the “rigorous vetting that has protected us in the past.” A Trump administration official further asserted that “very little vetting was going on” during the chaotic withdrawal.
Trump’s Sweeping Immigration Crackdown
In response to the DC shooting, President Trump has directed his administration to implement significant changes to US immigration policy. Joe Edlow, Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), announced a “full scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern” [ USCIS Director Joe Edlow ]. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified 19 such countries, based on a June presidential proclamation [ White House presidential proclamation ], which includes Afghanistan and several other nations:
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
Furthermore, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that “processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.” The administration is also undertaking a review of all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration.
Why This Matters: Security, Politics, and the Human Cost
The shooting incident in Washington, D.C., and its aftermath underscore the profound intersection of national security, domestic politics, and humanitarian responsibility. The immediate politicization of the event, with swift blame assigned and calls for broad policy shifts, highlights how individual acts can be leveraged to shape national discourse and policy. For the approximately 190,000 Afghan evacuees already in the US, the renewed scrutiny and sweeping policy changes could mean increased uncertainty, potential reevaluation of their status, and a heightened sense of marginalization.
This event reignites crucial ethical dilemmas: how does a nation balance its obligation to those who aided its military efforts with rigorous security screening, especially during chaotic evacuations? The differing accounts of Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s vetting history—extensive cooperation with the CIA versus claims of insufficient residency screening—illustrate the complexities inherent in such processes. Moving forward, a transparent and fact-based discussion, rather than politically charged rhetoric, will be essential for developing immigration policies that are both secure and just.
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