What Is Operation Allies Welcome, and How Does It Relate ...

By Simon CrerarShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

President Donald Trump has said everyone who arrived in the U.S. from Afghanistan under the Biden administration must be "re-examined" after the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington D.C.

Federal officials have confirmed that 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal arrived in the United States in on September 8, 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), a Biden-era program created to evacuate and resettle Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul. He is the suspected shooter.

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The shooting has placed renewed political scrutiny on the program at a time when immigration and national security policies are central to the national debate.

Why It Matters

Commenting on the shooting of the two West Virginia National Guard troopers, President Trump referred to Afghanistan as "a hellhole on earth" and said "nobody knew who was coming in" after the Taliban re-captured the country in 2021.

"This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation," Trump said in a video address, referring to Wednesday's shooting.

"We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from the country who does not belong here."

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced late Wednesday that it has stopped processing all immigration requests from Afghan nationals.

What To Know About Operation Allies Welcome

Operation Allies Welcome was launched on August 29, 2021 by the Biden administration to coordinate the evacuation, processing and resettlement of Afghan nationals at risk after the Taliban takeover.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which was appointed as the lead coordinating agency, OAW’s purpose was to provide a safe, orderly pathway into the U.S. for vulnerable Afghan allies (and their immediate family members) who had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomatic missions in Afghanistan between 2001 to 2021.

US Marine grabbing an infant during the evacuation of Kabul in August 2021. (Photo by Omar Haidiri via Getty Images)

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Under OAW, Afghan evacuees underwent multi-layered security vetting, conducted by DHS, the FBI, the Department of Defense, the National Counterterrorism Center and other intelligence partners. DHS guidance states that individuals were admitted under humanitarian parole while their immigration cases, Special Immigrant Visas, asylum or other pathways were processed.The program saw the arrival of more than 88,000 Afghans according to the White House and DHS. Many were initially housed at U.S. military bases before being assisted by resettlement agencies.

Shooting suspect Lakanwal applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in April 2025, under the Trump administration, according to sources cited by ABC News.

DHS has confirmed the suspect’s arrival route through OAW but said the investigation into the shooting remains with local DC and federal law enforcement. Officials have not publicly linked the program itself to the attack and have said the suspect appeared to have acted alone.

What People Are Saying

President Trump in a video statement released by the White House: "This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation. The last administration letting 20 million unknown and unfettered foreigners from all over the world, from places no one even knows about, no country can tolerate such a risk to our very survival."

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem via DHS press release: "I will not utter this depraved individual’s name. He should be starved of the glory he so desperately wants."

What Happens Next

President Donald Trump said everyone who arrived in the United States from Afghanistan under the Biden administration must be "re-examined".

The USCIS announced that it has indefinitely halted the processing of all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals while the agency conducts a comprehensive review of its security and vetting protocols

The administration has not indicated whether the pause will affect Afghans already in the U.S. awaiting asylum.

Law enforcement said there is no indication of additional suspects, but authorities are expected to release further information as the investigation progresses.

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