Alleged DC shooter entered US under Afghan resettlement push Mayorkas vowed would be done ‘swiftly and safely’
In a shocking turn of events, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Biden is facing scrutiny following a violent incident in Washington, D.C., where two National Guardsmen were shot. The alleged shooter, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, reportedly entered the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, a program initiated by the Biden administration to resettle Afghan allies amid the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. This revelation has reignited debates over the vetting processes used during the expedited evacuation, with critics questioning the adequacy of the security measures in place to screen individuals entering the country under humanitarian parole.
The DHS, led by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, had vowed to “swiftly and safely” resettle Afghan allies, promising robust biometric screening and vetting processes. However, concerns were raised during the evacuation, with Mayorkas acknowledging that some individuals were flagged with “derogatory information” during the vetting process, though he did not disclose specific numbers. The urgency of the evacuation—where approximately 120,000 people were airlifted in just 17 days—has led to fears that the rushed procedures may have compromised national security. Following the shooting, which is being investigated as a potential act of international terrorism, President Biden expressed his sorrow over the incident, emphasizing the need for unity against violence, yet the timing of Lakanwal’s entry into the U.S. has drawn sharp criticism from political opponents.
Former President Donald Trump seized the opportunity to criticize Biden’s handling of immigration and security policies, dubbing the current administration “the worst in the history of our country.” He pointed to the lack of knowledge surrounding who was being allowed into the U.S. during the evacuation and called for a thorough reevaluation of all individuals who entered under Biden’s policies. As investigations continue and the nation grapples with the implications of this incident, the Biden administration is under increasing pressure to address the vulnerabilities exposed by the Afghan resettlement program and reinforce public confidence in national security measures.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under former President
Joe Biden
promised to “swiftly and safely” resettle Afghan allies into the United States, but multiple sources have confirmed the D.C. National Guard shooter came in under that same Biden-era program in 2021.
Biden responded to the “targeted” attack in D.C. just before news broke of how the alleged shooter, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the United States under humanitarian parole via Operation Allies Welcome,
per DHS and FBI sources, giving him permission to be in the country legally.
In 2021, amid the Afghan withdrawal debacle, Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas promised to
“swiftly and safely”
resettle thousands of Afghan allies into the United States and confirmed that DHS had denied evacuees from entering the U.S. due to “derogatory” information obtained during the vetting process.
After the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that was followed by a Taliban takeover of the country, the Biden administration launched a large operation to support and resettle vulnerable Afghans, including those that had helped U.S. troops in the past.
TWO NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS SHOT NEAR WHITE HOUSE, AFGHAN NATIONAL SUSPECT IN CUSTODY: ‘TARGETED’
Due to the rushed nature of the evacuation, plus broader concerns over immigration and parole-release policies,
fears arose
over whom the country may have been letting in.
Mayorkas said during a September 2021 press conference that 120,000 people had been evacuated from Afghanistan since the beginning of the U.S. withdrawal, just months earlier. The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center found that nearly 800 aircraft evacuated thousands of people over just a 17-day period in August 2021.
At the time, Mayorkas touted the robust biometric screening and vetting process in place — in both the U.S. and transit countries — in order to make sure every individual entering the country was properly screened.
In response to a question at the time from Fox News’ Jake Gibson, Mayorkas confirmed that there already had been individuals flagged with “derogatory information” during the vetting process, but did not specify the number of people flagged.
Mayorkas assured that 400 U.S. Customs and Border Patrol employees and the Transportation Security Administration would be brought up to assist. Part of the effort included moving refugees from military bases designated by the Pentagon to house and vet refugees before they entered the United States.
Lakanwal, who entered the U.S. in September 2021 after America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, had his permission to stay in the U.S. granted under Operation Allies Welcome, sources said. Authorities are investigating the shooting as a possible act of international terrorism.
FBI officials confirmed two West Virginia National Guardsmen remain in critical condition after being shot in the head during an apparent targeted attack just a few blocks from the White House.
During comments Wednesday night, President
Donald Trump
called Biden “a disastrous president” and “the worst in the history of our country.”
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He also ridiculed the former president for flying Lakanwal “on those infamous flights that everybody was talking about.”
“Nobody knew who was coming in, nobody knew anything about it,” Trump pointed out about the Afghan evacuation process under Biden.
He also slammed broader parole and immigration policies under Biden, claiming Lakanwal’s “status was extended under legislation signed under President Biden.”
“This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation,” Trump added, announcing that the government “must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country under Biden.”
Trump also appeared to suggest the death penalty for Lakanwal, stating toward the end of his address that “we will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice – if the bullet’s going in the opposite direction – (unintelligible).”
Former President Biden responded to the tragic D.C. attack.
“Jill and I are heartbroken that two members of the National Guard were shot outside the White House,” Biden posted on X, just before news broke that the shooter entered the country under his administration’s rapid resettlement program.
“Violence of any kind is unacceptable, and we must all stand united against it. We are praying for the service members and their families.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the news that Lakanwal came into the United States under the Biden-era program, but did not receive a response. Attempts to reach Mayorkas also were unsuccessful in time for publication.
