Law enforcement officials identified the gunman who shot two National Guard members near the White House on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal. (7News)
WASHINGTON (TNND) — Immigration from Afghanistan to the United States has been temporarily halted after an Afghan national allegedly shot and wounded two National Guardsmen just blocks from the White House on Wednesday, prompting swift action from the Trump administration and renewed concerns about post-withdrawal vetting.
On Thursday, CIA Director John Ratcliff confirmed that the suspect — 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal — previously worked with the CIA to support U.S. military units in Afghanistan. Ratcliff said the Biden administration brought Lakanwal to the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, citing his prior service to the U.S. government.
Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, roughly 90,000 Afghan nationals were relocated to the United States through resettlement programs, many because of their work alongside American forces. Even at the time, lawmakers raised concerns about whether all arrivals had been properly screened.
During a Senate hearing in November 2021, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) pressed Homeland Security officials on gaps in the process. Then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged evacuees had not all received in-person interviews, citing the emergency nature of the evacuation.
In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, President Trump condemned the attack and called for a full reassessment of all individuals brought to the United States from Afghanistan under President Biden. “We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden,” he said, adding that the U.S. must take any necessary steps to remove individuals who “do not belong here or add benefit to our country.”
A recent Justice Department review found that the Biden administration did not fully vet all post-withdrawal arrivals, identifying at least eight individuals who still appeared on federal terror watchlists.
The investigation into Lakanwal’s background — and how he was cleared to enter and remain in the United States — is expected to intensify political debate over vetting procedures and the handling of Afghan resettlement.
