How Operation Allies Welcome Brought the DC Shooting Suspect to the U.S. — What We Know

Officials say the man accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House arrived in the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden‑era resettlement program for Afghans. Authorities have identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal; he reportedly entered the U.S. on Sept. 8, 2021, applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in 2025 under the current administration.

What was Operation Allies Welcome? Launched in August 2021 after the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, Operation Allies Welcome was created to evacuate and resettle Afghans who were particularly vulnerable or had ties to U.S. forces and agencies. About a year after its launch, the program was transitioned into a longer‑term effort called Enduring Welcome, which emphasized processing Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) and using the established U.S. refugee admissions system.

Under the program’s initial terms, many evacuees were admitted to the United States with authorization to remain temporarily—often for two years—without immediately receiving permanent immigration status. The Department of Homeland Security has said more than 40% of people admitted through the program were eligible for SIVs because they had taken substantial risks to help U.S. efforts or were relatives of those who did.

Combined figures from government sources show that Operation Allies Welcome and Enduring Welcome have helped resettle more than 190,000 Afghans in the United States. At the same time, advocacy groups estimate hundreds of thousands remain in limbo: Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, estimates roughly 260,000 Afghans have applied to come to the U.S. and are still awaiting processing, many of whom remain at risk in third countries or inside Afghanistan.

Security screenings and vetting — Officials emphasize that evacuees admitted after the fall of Kabul underwent multiple security screenings by intelligence, law enforcement and counterterrorism agencies. Some individuals were screened before leaving Afghanistan, again in transit countries, and once more prior to entry into the United States. Authorities have also been conducting follow‑up interviews of some resettled Afghans as part of routine and intensified reviews.

Policy and political fallout — The reported shooting has renewed political debate over refugee and resettlement vetting. In response to the incident, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a pause on processing immigration cases related to Afghan migrants "indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols," in a statement posted on X. Former President Donald Trump criticized previous policy decisions and called for a re‑examination of those admitted after the Afghanistan evacuation.

Context and cautions — Advocates and community leaders urge caution against generalizing about entire communities based on the alleged actions of one person. Supporters of resettlement programs say the majority of evacuees came to the U.S. to rebuild their lives after facing acute threats, and that rigorous screening remains an essential part of the process.

This article synthesizes public statements and available government and advocacy estimates; names and details are presented as reported by officials and sources.