The Trump administration has announced a more stringent anti-immigration agenda following the recent shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national, leading to new restrictions for the tens of thousands of Afghans currently resettled in the United States and those seeking entry. Many of these Afghans served alongside American soldiers during the two-decade-long conflict in Afghanistan.
The suspected shooter, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, worked with the CIA during the Afghanistan War and has been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom. The other guard member, 24-year-old Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition. Experts assert that Afghan immigrants are among the most thorough vetting groups, having undergone years of security checks before resettlement.
Haris Tarin, a former U.S. official involved in the Biden administration's Afghan resettlement program, emphasized that the incident should not be viewed as a failure of the vetting process; rather, it reflects broader issues of societal integration for veterans and foreign personnel alike. The Operation Allies Welcome initiative initially facilitated the resettlement of roughly 76,000 Afghans, many of whom supported U.S. military efforts. Under its successor, Operation Enduring Welcome, nearly 200,000 Afghans have now been resettled in the U.S.
In a significant turn of events, the State Department has suspended the issuance of visas for all individuals traveling on Afghan passports, as announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Critics, including Trump and his allies, have seized upon this shooting to highlight perceived failures in U.S. vetting protocols, despite previously criticizing the Biden administration for moving too slowly to process applications from Afghan allies.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that Lakanwal "should have never been allowed to come here," while Trump condemned lax migration policies as "the single greatest national security threat facing our nation." In response, Trump announced plans for a permanent halt to immigration from nearly 20 countries and called for the review and removal of individuals who are deemed non-contributors to the U.S.
Critics, including Andrea Flores, an immigration policy adviser from previous administrations, argue that the rhetoric has quickly morphed into policy changes that will only exacerbate fear and disruption within lawfully admitted immigrant communities. Lakanwal's asylum was approved in April 2023 after a stringent vetting process, demonstrating that many of those entering the U.S. have already undergone substantial scrutiny.
The recent shooting has instilled a sense of fear and uncertainty among Afghan immigrants residing in the U.S. Those who have been able to integrate into American society, like Nesar, a 22-year-old Afghan who arrived shortly after the fall of Kabul, expressed discomfort amidst fears of being associated with the shooter's actions. Despite having a green card interview scheduled for December, he now worries about the implications of the attack on their application.
Another Afghan national with a special immigrant visa shared that he had previously felt relieved upon resettlement but now fears renewed scrutiny due to the actions of one individual. He noted that the stigma created by such violent acts tragically affects all members of the community, disproportionately impacting those who served alongside U.S. forces.
In summary, the impact of this shooting reverberates throughout the Afghan community in the U.S., igniting a wave of apprehension and leading to potential policy changes that threaten the legal status of many lawfully admitted Afghans.
