Washington, D.C. (December 8, 2025) – A new report by Center for Immigration Studies examines how Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the Afghan national charged in the recent ambush attack that killed one National Guard member and critically injured another, was among the approximately 200,000 Afghans brought to the United States following the 2021 withdrawal.
In the report, Nayla Rush, the Center's senior researcher, details how “Operation Allies Welcome” worked, and how Lakanwal benefited from the Biden-Harris administration's expansive use of parole to admit tens of thousands of Afghans who were neither U.S. “allies” nor individuals with verified claims of persecution. What’s more, the initial evacuation was followed by the creation of programs to admit even more Afghans permanently.
Rush concludes by asking: “How many more Rahmanullah Lakanwals are out there – time-bombs waiting to turn against the country that welcomed them?”
Key findings:
- Most evacuees were not “allies.” Of the 80,000 Afghans airlifted during “Operation Allies Refuge,” 72,550 were paroled, lacking visas, SIV status, or refugee designation.
- Lakanwal was airlifted during “Operation Allies Refuge,” despite having no immigrant visa and no SIV.
- Unlike typical parolees, Afghan parolees received the same federal benefits, services, and resettlement support normally reserved for refugees and SIV holders.
- Federal benefits and health insurance
- Work authorization and Social Security numbers
- English-language instruction and mental-health services
- Free legal assistance to pursue asylum, SIVs, or family-based green cards
- Pathways were expanded, with programs such as the Afghan Placement and Assistance Program (APA), Priority 2 (P-2) group referrals, Welcome Corps for Afghans, and Family Reunification for Afghans — pivoting away from temporary parole programs toward “durable” (permanent) immigration statuses.
- Lack of vetting. The U.S. lacked reliable access to criminal, security, or identity records for many Afghans; and in any case, radicalization can come after admission to the United States.
For related analyses, see Jessica Vaughan’s re-vetting of Afghan nationals interview on Fox News, Andrew Arthur’s “Assimilation or Removal: Afghan Vetting and the D.C. Metro Shooting” and Mark Krikorian’s National Review opinion article, “Vetting in All the Wrong Places”, which outline the limits of current vetting.
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