Rahmanullah Rakanwal, an Afghan national accused of fatally shooting two National Guard soldiers during a terrorist incident in Washington, D.C., entered the United States under a resettlement program from the Biden administration, which many Republican lawmakers had warned could be risky for American safety.
Rakanwal was among about 90,000 Afghans who arrived in the U.S. under the Operation Allied Welcoming (OAW) and Operation Allied Refuge (OAR) programs, designed to provide assistance and entry processing for foreign nationals.
The 29-year-old arrived in the U.S. in September 2021, amid the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, and was resettled in Bellingham, Washington, according to law enforcement sources.
Of these Afghan refugees, around 73,500 were granted a two-year parole by the Biden administration. Some later received extensions, allowing them to live and work legally in America. Additionally, approximately 16,500 evacuees were admitted under special immigrant visas or other statuses.
Concerns have been raised since the program’s inception about the vetting processes for these refugees.
In an October 2021 letter to then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and then-Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) criticized the security screening, calling it unclear and inadequate for protecting American security.
Ernst described the process as rushed and cautioned against the possibility of letting potential terrorists into the country.
In a recent statement, President Trump labeled Rakanwal’s actions an “act of terrorism.” Rakanwal isn’t the first Afghan linked to terrorism to enter the U.S. during the controversial withdrawal. For instance, in October 2024, the Department of Justice indicted Nasir Ahmad Tawhidi for planning an ISIS-inspired attack on election day.
Tawhidi, who arrived in the U.S. on September 9, 2021, was accused of stockpiling weapons for planned assaults on American soil in the name of ISIS. This case, along with a June report from the Justice Department, raised alarms among Republican lawmakers; the report revealed that at least 55 Afghan evacuees were on terrorist watch lists.
Follow the latest updates on the National Guard shooting in Washington, D.C.
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reiterated his warnings about the need for robust vetting since August 2021, asserting that the Biden administration allowed suspected terrorists to enter the U.S. without proper scrutiny.
Grassley mentioned that about 1,600 displaced Afghans had reported ties to terrorism or other concerning factors. According to the Department of Justice’s inspector general report, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center identified 55 evacuees who were either already on watch lists or added during the evacuee process.
Out of these, 46 were eventually removed from the list after assessments showed they posed no threat. However, as of July 2024, nine still remain under scrutiny within the terrorist database, with eight still present in the U.S.
It’s uncertain if Rakanwal was among those watched or known to authorities. The report from the Justice Department highlighted how normal security processes were bypassed amid the urgent need to evacuate Afghans quickly, which may have increased the risk of criminals exploiting the situation.
The Department of Homeland Security characterized the vetting process for Afghan nationals as a thorough examination by intelligence and law enforcement experts.
Under the Trump administration, Afghan nationals could request parole extensions on a case-by-case basis. However, a separate program for Temporary Protected Status for Afghans was terminated by Trump in July.
Following the recent shootings in D.C., U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it would pause all immigration applications for Afghan nationals until it reviews its procedures. The agency emphasized that protecting American security is their primary objective.
In light of the attack, the president committed to reassessing the security of all foreign entrants from Afghanistan during Biden’s administration, stating he would take necessary actions to remove individuals who should not be in the country.
Trump pointed out that this incident underscores a significant national security challenge, claiming the prior administration let many unvetted foreign nationals into the country. He concluded by asserting that those who do not love America should not be allowed to stay.
