One does not need to be an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and a former National Guard soldier, as I am, to want to hold accountable the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., last week — as well as to seek broader solutions to prevent future extremist violence. But President Donald Trump’s promise to shut down immigration processes for entire nationalities of people who are innocent of any wrongdoing is not the way to go.
For three years, Congress has had the chance to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would ensure more stringent vetting of Afghan evacuees — but it has failed to do so. Acting on that bipartisan measure would be much more in line with American values than betraying our nation’s promises to those who risked their lives alongside our troops.
Two of my three tours with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan were as an Army National Guard soldier. When I was deployed, my Afghan interpreters wore the same uniform as I did. We partnered on missions with our counterparts in the Afghan army. We relied on one another and in many cases trusted one another with our lives.
It is an additional layer of tragedy that the man arrested for the violence in our nation’s capital was one of the Afghan allies our nation fought so hard to evacuate in 2021.
I did not know the National Guard members shot last week, but I know they exemplify the selfless service of every generation of Americans who have defended our nation. West Virginia Army National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries. Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains hospitalized. The president was right that this was an attack on our nation.
It is an additional layer of tragedy that the man arrested for the violence in our nation’s capital was one of the Afghan allies our nation fought so hard to evacuate in 2021. I have heard from Afghan friends about how devastated they feel — and how afraid they are that one person’s despicable actions could be used to harm Afghan immigrants who have done nothing but support the United States.
To protect vulnerable Afghans as the Taliban took control, America started a resettlement program in August 2021. Afghans who had served with U.S. forces were promised that if they could meet the stringent eligibility and vetting requirements for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), they could come to the U.S. with their families and have the opportunity to gain citizenship. But the evacuation was chaotic and flawed. More than 80,000 SIV applicants still had applications pending at the time of the withdrawal.
The Association of Wartime Allies later concluded that almost all of those critical Afghan allies were left behind. The vast majority of those who were evacuated in 2021 arrived here on a humanitarian parole visa, including the suspect in custody, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, and his family. Those visas had far less stringent security vetting processes than the SIVs.
After seeing so many of our Afghan allies being left behind, particularly those who applied for SIVs, many veterans and organizations representing veterans and immigration advocates pushed hard for passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act in 2022. The legislation proposed additional vetting and a better integration process for Afghans brought in under humanitarian parole and was crafted to update and repair problems within the SIV application process. Despite strong bipartisan support, Congress has failed to pass this legislation.
It is unclear whether this additional vetting would have identified any threat from Lakanwal. (He reportedly was part of a paramilitary force that worked with the CIA and apparently became disengaged from his family and community before last week’s attack.) But it is frustrating to hear calls for more stringent vetting of Afghan evacuees when Congress had an option to address exactly this issue for three years.
It is frustrating to hear calls for more stringent vetting of Afghan evacuees when Congress had an option to address exactly this issue for three years.
During the withdrawal in 2021, the crisis hotline of the Department of Veterans Affairs got a surge of calls and texts as former service members witnessed the betrayal of so many Afghan allies who were left behind. Many veterans continue to struggle with mental health. A handful have taken extreme, criminal actions that run counter to the values they swore to uphold and protect. The appropriate response isn’t to demonize or isolate veterans — what’s needed is greater access to resources and treatment.
Our Afghan allies and their family members have also endured unspeakable traumas in the course of their allyship with the U.S. They deserve an immigration system that is thorough and that delivers fair and timely processing of the opportunities the country promised them for safety and stability. Categorically demonizing or further isolating the Afghan allies who had our backs in combat isn’t the answer; faster, better vetting and improving their integration into American society is.
Further betrayal of our wartime allies by disavowing their loyalty and value to the U.S., stopping or hampering immigration processes, and failing to deliver on the promises our country made is harmful to more than our future military operations. It also harms the veterans who made those promises and served shoulder to shoulder with these allies. In the wake of Beckstrom’s death, the president and Congress should put in place the responsible vetting so many of us have called for. This would remain true to American values and fulfill our promises to those we relied on during two decades of war.
Kristen L. Rouse
Kristen L. Rouse is a U.S. Army veteran who served three combat tours in Afghanistan. She is founder of NYC Veterans Alliance.