Alleged DC shooter entered US under Afghan resettlement push Mayorkas vowed would be done ‘swiftly and safely’
In a shocking turn of events, the recent shooting incident involving two National Guard members near the White House has raised serious questions about the vetting processes employed during the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome. The alleged shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, reportedly entered the United States through this humanitarian parole program established in 2021, aimed at swiftly resettling Afghan allies following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. This revelation comes amidst President Biden’s response to the shooting, where he expressed heartbreak over the violence while simultaneously facing scrutiny for the very program that allowed Lakanwal to enter the country legally.
Operation Allies Welcome was launched in the wake of the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pledging to provide refuge to vulnerable Afghans, particularly those who had assisted U.S. forces. In September 2021, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that approximately 120,000 individuals had been evacuated from Afghanistan, emphasizing the robust vetting and biometric screening processes in place to ensure the safety of those entering the U.S. However, concerns about the thoroughness of these measures have resurfaced, especially in light of reports indicating that some evacuees had been flagged with “derogatory information” during the vetting process. Critics, including former President Donald Trump, have seized on this incident to question the Biden administration’s immigration policies, arguing that the attack highlights a significant national security risk posed by individuals who may have entered the country without adequate scrutiny.
As investigations continue into Lakanwal’s motives and the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the Biden administration faces mounting pressure to reassess its immigration and resettlement protocols. The incident not only underscores the complexities and challenges of managing refugee crises but also raises broader questions about national security in the context of humanitarian efforts. President Biden’s commitment to standing against violence and supporting the affected service members is clear, yet the implications of this attack on the administration’s policies and public perception remain to be seen. As the nation processes this tragic event, the dialogue around immigration and security is likely to intensify, demanding transparency and accountability from those in power.
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.
