Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan man who arrived in the United States in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), has been accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. His motives remain unclear. Below is a clear summary of why OAW was created, how arrivals were screened, and the program’s aftermath.
Why OAW was launched
In August 2021, as Kabul fell to the Taliban, thousands of Afghans rushed to the airport seeking evacuation. The U.S. military airlift that followed was the result of the 2020 U.S.-Taliban agreement and culminated in large-scale departures in late August. President Biden announced the end of U.S. military operations on Aug. 31, 2021, while directing continued assistance for Afghans at risk. Days earlier he had tasked the Department of Homeland Security to lead federal efforts to support vulnerable Afghans and help resettle them in the United States.
Operation Allies Welcome set up a federal response to admit particularly vulnerable Afghans — notably people who had worked with U.S. forces or allies and could face Taliban retaliation. The program allowed them to enter the U.S. on parole for two years without immediate, permanent immigration status, with the expectation they would pursue further immigration paths such as asylum. About 40% of evacuees were also eligible for Special Immigrant Visas because of their employment or family ties to those who supported U.S. forces. OAW ran for roughly a year before evolving into a longer-term effort called Operation Enduring Welcome; together the initiatives assisted nearly 200,000 Afghans to resettle in the United States.
How arrivals were vetted
DHS described the vetting process as extensive and involving roughly 400 personnel from multiple agencies. Checks combined biometric and biographic screening — fingerprints, photos and other identifying data — which were reviewed by intelligence, law enforcement and counterterrorism specialists. After arrival, evacuees underwent further processing at U.S. military bases before being placed in communities.
Criticisms and official reviews
Republican lawmakers and other critics argued that the expedited evacuations meant some individuals were not fully vetted. A 2024 DHS Office of Inspector General report identified shortcomings, including inaccuracies in some data files. A Justice Department review of the FBI’s role found that the urgency of evacuation sometimes overtook standard procedures, increasing the risk that bad actors could exploit faster processing. That review noted 55 evacuees later appeared on terrorism watch lists but concluded the FBI largely performed well in flagging potential threats and that most evacuees did not pose security risks.
The current situation
Following a November shooting of National Guard members, calls were made to re-examine Afghans admitted under OAW, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily paused processing immigration applications from Afghan nationals. Thousands of Afghans remain in limbo: globally, more than 40,000 are actively seeking U.S. resettlement and over 10,000 have already been approved to relocate. Veterans and advocacy groups continue to urge U.S. officials not to abandon Afghans who assisted U.S. forces.
The OAW experience highlights a difficult trade-off: the need to protect national security while honoring obligations to allies who assisted U.S. operations under urgent, chaotic circumstances.