Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that the Afghan national accused of killing one National Guardsman and wounding another in Washington, D.C., had been radicalized after arriving in the United States, maintaining “connections” to individuals in Afghanistan that helped influence his actions.
Speaking on Meet the Press, Noem confirmed that 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal was admitted to the U.S. under President Joe Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome, the same resettlement initiative that has faced mounting criticism following a wave of violent incidents involving Afghan nationals.
“I will say we believe he was radicalized since he’s been here in this country,” Noem said. “We do believe it was through connections in his home community and state.”
Lakanwal is accused of opening fire on National Guard soldiers Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe the day before Thanksgiving. Beckstrom was killed in the attack, while Wolfe remains in critical condition. The suspect was wounded in the exchange but is expected to survive and face trial. He has been charged with first-degree murder, and prosecutors have indicated that more charges are coming.
President Donald Trump has called the attack a “terrorist incident,” placing direct blame on Biden’s immigration policies. “It happens too often with these people,” Trump said, referring to poorly vetted migrants.
While Lakanwal’s asylum was reportedly approved under Trump’s administration due to his prior work with a CIA-backed Afghan special forces unit, Noem said the real failure came with Biden’s mass resettlement and lack of adequate post-entry monitoring. “Vetting is happening when they come into the country, and that was completely abandoned under Joe Biden’s administration,” she said.
Concerns about Lakanwal’s mental health and radicalization were not new. A community advocate working with Afghan refugees warned officials in early 2024 that Lakanwal had withdrawn from his family, quit his job, and was spending extended periods isolated in a dark room. Despite those red flags, it appears no meaningful intervention occurred.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed that Lakanwal traveled from Bellingham, Washington, across the country to carry out the shooting. Noem emphasized that law enforcement is continuing to interview his associates and family members.
Trump and his national security team have since pledged to reexamine every refugee admitted under the Biden administration, vowing to implement what the president called “reverse migration” to clean up what he describes as “illegal and disruptive populations.”
The post Afghan Refugee Who Shot National Guardsmen Was Radicalized in U.S. After Entering Through Biden Program appeared first on Real News Now.
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