DC shooter entered US via Biden Afghan resettlement effort touted for rigorous vetting

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under former President Joe Biden promised to “quickly and safely” resettle Afghan allies in the United States, but multiple sources have confirmed that the D.C. National Guard shooter came under the same Biden-era program in 2021.

Biden responded to the “targeted” attack in D.C. before news emerged of how the alleged shooter, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakkanwal, entered the United States on humanitarian parole through Operation Allied Welcome. According to DHS and FBI sources, giving him permission to be in the country legally.

In 2021, amid the Afghan withdrawal debacle, Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, promised to resettle thousands of Afghan allies “quickly and safely” in the United States and asserted that the Department of Homeland Security had barred evacuees from entering the United States because of “derogatory” information obtained during the vetting process.

After the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that was followed by the Taliban’s takeover of the country, the Biden administration launched a major operation to support and resettle vulnerable Afghans, including those who had assisted US forces in the past.

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Due to the hasty nature of the evacuation, as well as broader concerns about immigration and initial release policies, concerns arose about who the country may have let in.

Mayorkas said during a press conference in September 2021 that 120,000 people had been evacuated from Afghanistan since the beginning of the US withdrawal, just months ago. The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center found that nearly 800 aircraft evacuated thousands of people during just a 17-day period in August 2021.

At the time, Mayorkas praised the robust biometric screening and vetting process in place — in both the U.S. and transit countries — in order to ensure every individual entering the country is properly screened.

In response to a question at the time from Fox News Channel’s Jake Gibson, Mayorkas confirmed that there were indeed individuals flagged for “derogatory information” during the vetting process, but he did not specify how many people were flagged.

Mayorkas confirmed that 400 US Customs, Border Patrol and Transportation Security Administration personnel would be brought in to assist. Part of the effort included transporting refugees from military bases designated by the Pentagon to house refugees and screening them before they entered the United States.

This division shows Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as members of the Taliban. (Harun Spaun/Anadolu via Getty Images and Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Lakkanwal, who entered the United States in September 2021 after America withdrew from Afghanistan, received permission to remain in the United States under the Welcome Allies process, the sources said. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible act of international terrorism. Two West Virginia National Guard members remain in critical condition after being shot in the head during an apparent targeted attack just blocks from the White House, FBI officials confirmed.

During his remarks Wednesday night, President Donald Trump called Biden a “disastrous president” and “the worst in the history of our country.”

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He also mocked the former president for flying Lakanwal “on those infamous flights that everyone was talking about.”

Trump referred to the Afghan evacuation under Biden: “No one knew who was coming, and no one knew anything about it.” He also criticized broader parole and immigration policies under Biden, claiming that Lakanwal’s status “was extended under legislation signed under President Biden.”

“This attack highlights the greatest national security threat facing our nation,” Trump added, declaring that “the government must now re-screen every foreigner who has entered our country under Biden.”

Trump also appeared to suggest the death penalty for Lakkanwal, saying at the end of his speech, “We will bring the perpetrator of this barbaric attack to swift and certain justice – if the bullet goes in the opposite direction – (unintelligible).”

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National Guard soldiers stand behind crime scene tape on a corner in downtown Washington, Nov. 26, 2025. Two National Guard soldiers were shot a few blocks from the White House, according to law enforcement. (Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, former President Biden responded to the tragic D.C. attack, but his comments came before news of how the shooter entered the United States.

“Jill and I are deeply saddened that two members of the National Guard were shot outside the White House,” Biden said on X, before news emerged that the shooter had entered the country as part of his administration’s rapid resettlement program.

“Violence of any kind is unacceptable, and we must all stand united against it. We are praying for the military service members and their families.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the news that Lakhanwal had entered the United States under the Biden-era program, but did not receive a response. Attempts to contact former Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas were also unsuccessful in time for publication.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Kelly Lacko contributed to this report.