The recent shooting that left two National Guard members wounded in Washington, D.C., was a horrific act that demands justice and renewed efforts to prevent extremist violence. Yet proposing blanket restrictions on immigration for entire nationalitiesespecially people with no connection to the crimeoffers neither accountability nor real security.
For three years, Congress has failed to pass the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act, which would strengthen and modernize the vetting process for Afghan evacuees. Advancing this legislation would align far better with American values than turning away those who once risked their lives to support United States forces.
During my service in the U.S. Army, including two deployments to Afghanistan with the National Guard, my Afghan interpreters wore the same uniform and stood beside us in dangerous missions. We trusted each other deeply. It adds another layer of sorrow that the man arrested for last weeks attack was one of the Afghan allies evacuated in 2021.
Although I did not personally know the National Guard members targeted, I recognize in them the selfless spirit shared by generations of Americans who have served. Spc. Sarah Beckstrom of the West Virginia Army National Guard died from her injuries, and Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains hospitalized. The attack was indeed an assault on our nation.
Afghan friends have expressed fear and heartbreak that one individuals actions might fuel hostility toward thousands of Afghan immigrants who have done nothing but support the United States. When the Taliban seized control in 2021, the U.S. created a resettlement program to protect vulnerable partners. Those who qualified for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) were promised entry and a pathway to citizenship, pending strict vetting.
But the evacuation process was chaotic. At the time of withdrawal, more than 80,000 SIV applications remained unresolved, and most of those individuals were left behind. The majority of evacueesincluding the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, and his familyarrived under humanitarian parole, which required less extensive security screening than the SIV program.
Veterans and advocacy groups pushed Congress in 2022 to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would provide additional screening and smoother integration for parolees while modernizing the SIV system. Despite broad bipartisan support, the bill never passed.
It is unclear whether the enhanced vetting proposed in that legislation would have identified any threat posed by Lakanwal. Still, it is disheartening to hear demands for stricter screening now, when lawmakers have had years to act on a solution already in front of them.
Many veterans continue to struggle with the emotional fallout of the withdrawal, and some have taken harmful actions that contradict the values they once defended. The answer is not to stigmatize or isolate veterans but to ensure they receive adequate support and treatment.
Our Afghan partners and their families have also endured profound trauma. They deserve an immigration system that is thorough, fair, and timelyone that honors the commitments made to them after they stood beside U.S. troops. Demonizing Afghan allies or shutting down immigration processes punishes people who upheld their promises to America.
Betraying those allies now would damage not only future U.S. military efforts but also the veterans who served alongside them and pledged to protect them. In the aftermath of Spc. Beckstroms death, the president and Congress should finally implement responsible, efficient vettingfulfilling Americas promises and staying true to its principles.
