The vetting of Afghan evacuees is facing fresh criticism after a tragic shooting incident involving two National Guardsmen in West Virginia. This event has reignited concerns about the hurried evacuation from Kabul in 2021 and reports of unsettling behavior by evacuees at U.S. military installations.
The primary suspect in the shooting, Rahmanullah Rakanwal, is a 29-year-old Afghan who had previously worked in a CIA-related task force against the Taliban. This incident resulted in the death of a special force member, Sarah Beckstrom, in Washington.
On “The Ingraham Angle,” Laura Ingraham expressed alarm about potential failures in the Biden administration’s scrutiny of evacuees after the withdrawal. She recalls instances where Congress raised urgent questions about instability at military bases holding Afghan refugees back in September 2021.
In her email to Fox News, Ingraham highlighted the administration’s rush to bring Afghans to the U.S. post-withdrawal, outlining consequences like challenges in integration and concerns over resource management. “There were warnings, but it seems they were ignored,” she asserted. She also voiced frustration over the perception that Americans are obligated to sustain these efforts despite the chaotic circumstances surrounding the evacuation.
Ingraham referred to a situation where Republican leaders sought clarification from Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding reports detailing unregulated evacuations at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Mark Green, a Tennessee congressman, reported troubling incidents, including unvetted evacuees wandering freely and allegations of serious misconduct.
Green elaborated on these claims, which he found alarming, expressing the potential threats to national security. Ingraham echoed these worries, noting discrepancies between Greene’s concerns and Blinken’s reassurances at the time about the evacuation efforts.
Ingraham added that the Afghan evacuees often come from backgrounds that clash with Western values and tend to rely on American support. She implied that this reliance on U.S. resources is an ongoing issue that must be addressed, linking it to Biden’s overall approach to the withdrawal.
Green, who retired from his role in early 2025, indicated that he had received similar troubling reports from other bases, affirming that the State Department’s communication has been inadequate. According to him, evacuees seemed to leave the restrictions of the military bases without proper oversight or consequences, posing further risks.
Despite warnings about potential visa processing suspensions for leaving base grounds, there seems to be little deterrent for those who wish to depart. Instances of misconduct have allegedly escalated, which adds to the disquiet surrounding the vetting process.
Ingraham previously stated that many evacuees flew out of Kabul lacking personal documentation, raising doubts about how effective the vetting could truly be in those circumstances.
During recent discussions, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas addressed the situation, assuring that the government was managing a “very small number” of evacuees that raised red flags. He faced tough questions about the risks posed by individuals released by the Taliban.
The aftermath of the 2021 withdrawal continues to haunt lawmakers, with ongoing concerns about the situation at military bases. Rep. Tom Tiffany noted troubling reports from Fort McCoy in Wisconsin that aligned with those coming out of Virginia, questioning whether the American public is being misled about security protocols.
Tiffany recounted his firsthand observations when the first group of refugees was admitted to Fort McCoy, noting that none had undergone the Special Immigrant Visa process and stressing the issues of accountability and security impinging upon local communities.
