President Donald Trump referred to as for a “re-examination” of all Afghan nationals who got here to the U.S. in the course of the Biden administration, hours after an Afghan man was named because the suspect within the capturing of two Nationwide Guard members in Washington, D.C.
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem mentioned on X that the suspect got here to the U.S. in September 2021 beneath Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era program designed to assist Afghans who assisted U.S. forces and have been dealing with a Taliban takeover.
“We should now re-examine each single alien who has entered our nation from Afghanistan beneath Biden,” Trump mentioned in an deal with Wednesday night time wherein he referred to as the capturing an “act of terror.”
Shortly after his remarks, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies mentioned it was halting the processing of immigration from Afghanistan to the U.S.
“Efficient instantly, processing of all immigration requests referring to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending additional assessment of safety and vetting protocols,” the company, generally known as USCIS, mentioned on X.
The 2 Nationwide Guard members, who’re from West Virginia and deployed to Washington, have been shot by a gunman round 2:15 p.m. They have been in important situation Wednesday, officers mentioned. The suspect was additionally shot — by whom was nonetheless beneath investigation — and was hospitalized, based on police.
Authorities haven’t detailed a motive, if one is thought, however D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser mentioned that “this can be a focused capturing” and that the suspect appeared to focus on the guard members.
The suspect has been recognized as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, of Bellingham, Washington, 4 senior legislation enforcement officers briefed on the investigation informed NBC Information.
A relative of Lakanwal’s informed NBC Information on Wednesday that Lakanwal arrived within the U.S. in September 2021 after having served within the Afghan Military for 10 years, alongside U.S. Particular Forces.
Lakanwal was stationed at a base in Kandahar for a part of that point, the relative mentioned. He got here to the U.S. after the Taliban returned to energy following the August 2021 withdrawal of U.S.-led forces and ultimately settled in Washington state.
“We have been those that have been focused by the Taliban in Afghanistan,” the relative mentioned. “I can not imagine it that he would possibly do that.”
A supply accustomed to the case and a separate legislation enforcement supply informed NBC Information that the suspect was granted asylum this yr.
Particulars of what a re-examination of Afghans already within the U.S. would seem like, and who arrived in the course of the Biden administration, weren’t instantly clear Wednesday night time.
A Trump administration memo on Friday, seen by NBC Information on Tuesday, referred to as for a assessment of all refugees admitted to the U.S. in the course of the Biden administration — which may have an effect on 200,000 individuals.
The memo requires a “complete assessment and a re-interview of all refugees admitted from January 20, 2021, to February 20, 2025,” together with U.S. inexperienced card holders. It cites a discovering by USCIS that the Biden administration “doubtlessly prioritized expediency, amount, and admissions over high quality interviews and detailed screening and vetting.”
The San Diego-based Afghan advocacy group #AfghanEvac, which works to make sure that Afghans who helped the U.S. usually are not deserted within the wake of the Taliban takeover, mentioned Wednesday’s capturing shouldn’t be used to punish Afghans within the U.S.
“Afghan immigrants and wartime allies who resettle in america endure a number of the most in depth safety vetting of any inhabitants coming into the nation,” Shawn VanDiver, the group’s president, mentioned in an announcement.
“This particular person’s remoted and violent act shouldn’t be used as an excuse to outline or diminish a complete group,” he added.
The Division of Homeland Safety resettled greater than 80,000 Afghan refugees to the U.S. earlier than or instantly after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the next takeover by the Taliban. However many others who wished to depart have been left behind.
The State Division’s inspector basic’s workplace mentioned in a June 2023 report that as of March of that yr, 152,091 Afghan “Particular Immigrant Visa” candidates in Afghanistan have been ready on processing. The visa is for Afghans who have been employed by or on behalf of the U.S.
Afghan immigrants and refugees, together with those that aided the American navy throughout 20 years of warfare, have been all however barred from coming into the U.S. throughout Trump’s second time period.
On his first day in workplace, Trump signed an government order suspending all refugee resettlement within the U.S. till admissions align “with the pursuits of america.” Hundreds of Afghan refugees, together with many who had already been accepted for U.S. resettlement, are stranded in Afghanistan, Pakistan and different international locations, and in some instances they’ve been forcibly repatriated.
The Trump administration has additionally terminated protections that allowed Afghans to dwell and work within the U.S. briefly due to harmful situations at house. The White Home says the protections are now not wanted as a result of it’s now secure to return to Afghanistan, which is experiencing a number of humanitarian crises and which Trump described as a “hellhole” in Wednesday’s deal with.
Advocates say that Afghans who labored with the U.S. are susceptible to persecution, torture or dying in the event that they return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and that they endure in depth vetting earlier than they arrive within the U.S.
Trump has mentioned he’s dedicated to serving to Afghans who labored with the U.S. navy, saying in August that “we all know the great ones and we all know those that perhaps aren’t so good.”
