Alleged DC shooter entered via Biden resettlement effort known for rigorous vetting

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

Biden responded to the “targeted” attack in Washington just before the announcement of how the suspected shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, entered the United States on humanitarian parole through Operation Allies 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 “quickly and safely” resettle thousands of Afghan allies in the United States and confirmed that DHS had refused evacuees entry into the United States due to “derogatory” information obtained during the vetting process.

After the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan followed by a Taliban takeover of the country, the Biden administration launched a massive operation to support and resettle vulnerable Afghans, including those who had aided U.S. troops in the past.

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Due to the rushed nature of the evacuation, as well as broader concerns about immigration and parole policies, fears arose about who the country might have let in.

Mayorkas said at a September 2021 news conference that 120,000 people had been evacuated from Afghanistan since the U.S. withdrawal began a few months earlier. The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center found that nearly 800 aircraft evacuated thousands of people over a period of just 17 days in August 2021.

A defining image of Afghans running after a US military plane leaving Kabul amid the disastrous withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

At the time, Mayorkas touted the robust biometric screening and screening process in place – both in the United States and in transit countries – to ensure that every individual entering the country was properly screened.

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

Mayorkas assured that 400 employees from the United States Customs and Border Patrol as well as the Transportation Security Administration would be mobilized to help. Part of the effort involved moving refugees from military bases designated by the Pentagon to house and screen them before entering the United States.

This split shows DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas members of the Taliban. (Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu via Getty Images and Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Lakanwal, who entered the United States in September 2021 after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, was granted permission to remain in the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, sources said. Authorities are investigating the shooting as a possible act of international terrorism.

FBI officials have confirmed that two West Virginia National Guardsmen remain in critical condition after being shot in the head during an apparently targeted attack just blocks from the White House.

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

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

“Nobody knew who was coming, nobody knew anything about it,” Trump emphasized of the Afghan evacuation process under Biden.

He also criticized broader parole and immigration policies under Biden, saying Lakanwal’s “status was extended under legislation signed under President Biden.”

“This attack underscores the greatest national security threat facing our nation,” Trump added, announcing that the government “must now reexamine every foreigner who enters our country under Biden.”

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

National Guard soldiers stand behind crime scene tape on a corner in downtown Washington, Nov. 26, 2025. Two National Guard soldiers were shot and killed just 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 attack in DC, but his comments came before the announcement of how the shooter entered the United States.

“Jill and I are heartbroken that two National Guard members were shot and killed in front of the White House,” Biden posted on

“Violence of any kind is unacceptable and we must all unite against it. We pray for the service members and their families.”

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

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