Guilt by Association Is No Justification for a Broad Attack on Immigrants

Guilt by Association Is No Justification for a Broad Attack on Immigrants

On Nov. 26, two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot while on patrol in Washington, D.C. One service member, Sarah Beckstrom, later died. Authorities have identified the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who former reports say worked for the CIA before the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. Lakanwal was admitted to the United States in 2021 and was reported to have been granted asylum in April 2025.

Policy Reaction

President Trump responded angrily to the shooting, calling the suspect 'the animal' and asserting he 'will pay a very steep price.' He directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and other federal agencies to re‑examine all Afghans admitted under the Biden administration, suspend pending green card applications from Afghans, consider a broad pause on migration from certain countries, and pursue denaturalization of immigrants he described as undermining domestic tranquility. He also characterized immigration as 'the single greatest national security threat to our nation' and promoted what he called 'reverse migration.'

Collective Punishment Is A Dangerous Precedent

These measures rest on the logical error of collective blame. Rather than holding individuals accountable for individual acts, collective punishment targets entire groups for the crimes of a single person. That approach abandons the principle of individual responsibility embedded in American law and moral tradition and is easily widened to target ever larger populations.

Political Rhetoric

Similar punitive language has been used previously by the same administration and allies. After the 2024 murder of University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, the president blamed immigrants more broadly and vowed to stop what he called a surge in violent crime tied to newcomers. Officials have suggested deporting the suspect's relatives and have made sweeping, often unsubstantiated claims about other immigrant communities. Prominent allies have also advocated extreme measures, including deporting people described as 'Islamists' or instituting broad travel bans.

What The Evidence Shows

Empirical research does not support the assertion that immigrants are driving a crime wave in the United States. Multiple studies have found that immigrants are less likely than native‑born Americans to be arrested for serious crimes or incarcerated. For instance, a 2017 analysis showed Afghan immigrants aged 18–54 were much less likely to be incarcerated than native‑born peers. Between 2017 and 2022, the immigrant population rose by roughly 1.7 million while overall crime nationwide declined by about 15.3 percent. Some studies indicate undocumented immigrants are roughly half as likely as U.S.‑born individuals to be jailed for violent or property crimes.

Economic analyses also undercut the argument that immigration 'wrecks' living standards. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the cumulative effects of past immigration would increase U.S. gross domestic product by about $8.9 trillion between 2024 and 2034, raise tax revenues by roughly $1.2 trillion, and reduce the federal deficit by about $900 billion.

Voices From The Community

Leaders of the Afghan community and individual immigrants condemned the violence in Washington and urged that one person not be used to justify collective punishment. The Afghan Community Coalition of the United States publicly expressed sympathy for the victims and horror at the shooting. Afghans interviewed by reporters described themselves as hardworking, taxpaying members of society and emphasized that the suspect acted alone without community support.

Public Opinion

Polls show mixed attitudes. While a majority of Americans favor stronger border security and many support deporting people who are in the country illegally, fewer approve of extreme measures such as deporting legally present immigrants or using the military to locate and detain undocumented migrants. Over the past three decades public opinion has shifted: a higher share of Americans now say immigration strengthens the country and contributes to economic growth, and more people favor increasing legal immigration than reducing it.

Conclusion

Responding to a tragic crime with sweeping policies that punish entire groups risks violating core principles of justice, runs counter to the empirical evidence on immigration and crime, and could be politically costly. Targeted law enforcement and careful, evidence‑based policy offer a clearer path toward public safety without sacrificing civil liberties or economic benefits.

Glenn C. Altschuler is the Thomas and Dorothy Litwin Emeritus Professor of American Studies at Cornell University.

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