Biden administration did not vet or run Lakanwal’s name through databases in 2021

Published December 2, 2025 5:00pm ET



The Biden administration failed to vet Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national accused of shooting National Guard members in Washington, before admitting him into the country in 2021, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin revealed on Tuesday afternoon that the U.S. government “barely” screened Lakanwal before he was brought to the United States with more than 80,000 primarily Afghan nationals amid the August 2021 airlift out of Kabul, Afghanistan.

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