What we know about the vetting and immigration process of National Guard shooting suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal

He shooting The deaths of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., last week have sparked a national debate about U.S. immigration policy and whether the federal government missed any red flags about the alleged attacker, identified by authorities as a 29-year-old Afghan national. Rahmanullah Lakanwal.

The Trump administration has cited the attack, in which one of the soldiers was killed, to further expand its government-wide immigration crackdown. The administration halted all visa and immigration procedures for Afghan citizens, ordered a review of green card cases for immigrants from 19 countries, and froze all decisions on asylum cases.

Lakanwal’s exact motives remain unclear. Over the weekend, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested may have been “radicalized” after arriving in the U.S. Emails obtained by News themezone also indicate that Lakanwal’s mental health deteriorated in recent years, and that he was isolated and separated from his family.

Trump administration officials have blamed the Biden administration for allowing Lakanwal to enter the United States in 2021, while critics of President Trump have blamed his administration for approving his asylum case earlier this year. But a review of Lakanwal’s immigration case, based on conversations with U.S. officials and other official sources, shows that there were several opportunities for federal authorities under both administrations to examine Lakanwal and identify any potentially concerning information.

Here’s what we know about the immigration process Lakanwal underwent to enter the United States and attempt to stay here permanently.

September 2021: Lakanwal arrives in the US

Lakanwal entered the United States in September 2021 as part of “Operation Welcome Allies,” the Biden administration’s effort to resettle tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees airlifted from Kabul following the chaotic US military withdrawal and Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

U.S. officials familiar with his case told News themezone that Lakanwal was granted compassionate parole. Government statistics show that more than 77,000 evacuees were offered parole so they could legally live and work in the country for two-year increments. Parole was designed to be a stopgap measure while evacuees applied for permanent forms of legal status, such as asylum or special immigrant visas for those who helped in the American war effort.

All Afghan evacuees were supposed to undergo an initial round of vetting at military bases in Italy, Germany, Qatar, Spain and the United Arab Emirates before being allowed to enter the United States. Those who raised security concerns were sent to Kosovo. After arriving in the United States, many evacuees were housed at U.S. military bases in several states before settling in communities across the country.

At the time, Republican lawmakers in Congress expressed concern about the vetting process undertaken by the Biden administration during the Afghan resettlement effort. A 2022 report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General said the screening process encountered several obstacles and that some federal officials “did not always have critical data” to properly vet evacuees.

December 2024: Lakanwal applies for asylum

Lakanwal applied for asylum with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in December 2024, arguing that he would face persecution if he returned to Afghanistan, according to U.S. officials who requested anonymity to discuss internal government information.

His request would have been another opportunity for the US government to review his case. USCIS generally requires asylum seekers to appear for in-person interviews at one of its offices across the country.

A DHS official told News themezone that the USCIS asylum investigation process typically involves the collection of biometric data, a review of social media activity, FBI background checks and other screenings. The process also includes an investigation to determine whether the applicant can demonstrate that they would face persecution if deported due to one of five factors: their race, nationality, religion, political opinion or membership in a “particular social group.”

In recent years, USCIS has been prioritizing Afghan asylum claims, processing them faster than cases from other nationalities due to a Biden-era federal court settlement. The vast majority of Afghan asylum cases are approved. Government data shows that 20,354 (96%) of 21,201 Afghan asylum claims decided by USCIS since summer 2021 were granted. During that time only 120 cases were denied.

Two US officials and a former Afghan military officer told News themezone that Lakanwal was part of a “Unit Zero“, one of several CIA-backed forces in the former Afghan government’s military and intelligence apparatus that gained infamy for their secrecy and alleged brutality. That work could have made them a target for retaliation by the Taliban.

April 2025: Lakanwal granted asylum

USCIS approved Lakanwal’s asylum request in April 2025, granting him, and any derived immediate relatives, asylum status, US officials told News themezone.

While the grant of asylum is a determination that the applicant meets the legal definition of a refugee, it does not immediately grant permanent legal status to the beneficiary. Asylees must submit another application to apply for a green card, or lawful permanent resident status, which they can receive no sooner than one year after asylum is granted. Two U.S. officials told News themezone that Lakanwal filed that request, known as an adjustment of status application, and that it was pending at the time of the attack.

U.S. law allows the government to cancel a person’s asylum status under certain circumstances, including when asylees commit serious crimes or fraud. A DHS official told News themezone that the process requires USCIS to notify the asyleee of the intention to cancel their status.

Those who have their asylum status revoked are placed in deportation proceedings before federal immigration judges, who are overseen by the Department of Justice. In Lakanwal’s case, that process likely wouldn’t be finalized until after the adjudication of the criminal charges he faces stemming from last week’s shooting.