The ambush of two National Guard members near the White House on Nov. 26 is igniting a new round of criticism towards a Biden-era program that brought the suspected shooter to the U.S. after its 20-year war in Afghanistan.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national from Washington state, has reportedly been identified as the suspect in the shooting, according to Reuters.

Lakanwal gained entry into the country through "Operation Allies Welcome," a special visa program originally setup to evacuate vulnerable Afghans, and their families, who had cooperated with U.S. forces during the war as the Taliban took back control during the U.S. withdrawal.

At the time there was immense pressure from lawmakers in both parties to act swiftly due to fear Afghans who served alongside American troops would be killed. This led for the Biden administration to fast-track the process compared to previous refugee initiatives.

"Our objective is to get individuals who are eligible relocated out of the country in advance of the removal of the withdrawal of troops at the end of August," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in 2021.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to clarify the shooter's immigration status in the U.S. This is a developing story.

But the shooting, which has critically injured the two West Virginia guard members, identified as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, has reopened a debate about the program, including previous warnings in Department of Homeland Security reports that outlined how the Biden administration failed to track Afghan evacuees.

The DHS inspector general's report found that some had left military bases in the U.S. that were designated as "safe havens" without officials' knowledge. That's because a tracking system was not designed to account for departures. Other data quality issues included contact information for the evacuees.

CBS, ABC and Fox News reported that Lakanwal was granted asylum by the Trump administration in April.

Trump blasts program for letting in 'unvetted foreigners' into U.S.

President Donald Trump lashed out in a video statement in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, calling it a "heinous assault" and an "act of terror." He also laid much of the blame at former President Joe Biden, a favorite political target, claiming the previous administration allowed "20 million unknown and unvetted foreigners" into the country.

"This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation," Trump said.

Other Trump administration officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, echoed that the program allowed "many unvetted, mass paroled" individuals into America, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on Nov. 27 it was pausing all immigration applications from Afghan nationals.

Leading up to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Biden administration faced immense pressure from lawmakers in both parties who feared reprisals against Afghan allies.

Congress created a special visa program in 2006 for Afghans and Iraqis who worked alongside U.S. troops in those two conflicts, but it took nearly three years for Afghans' applications to be processed in part because of the rigorous vetting involved, the State Department said at the time.

The Pentagon began drawing down forces in May 2021 when there were about 18,000 Afghans waiting for approval – and fewer than 11,000 slots available.

By July 2021, a month before the withdrawal, the Biden administration had launched the "allies welcome" program, evacuating thousands of interpreters and translators in a move that was cheered by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Many who arrived under the program were granted parole for a period of two years, according to DHS, which was conditioned on required screening and vetting. Roughly 190,000 Afghans resettled in the U.S. under the operation, which provided temporary housing and support on American military bases.

But some GOP lawmakers raised questions about the process, including former Sen. Rob Portman, of Ohio, who pointed to the inspector general's report on the program. He warned the U.S. "faces an increased threat" without a rigorous vetting or an in-person interview process.

"Instead, this administration allowed a lack of effective screening of Afghan evacuees to endanger our communities and is now seeking to fast track their citizenship through the upcoming appropriations process," Portman said in a September 2022 press release.

"As I have said repeatedly, I support the resettlement of Afghans who stood in battle with us and our allies over the last 20 years but... the United States faces an increased threat due to this administration’s catastrophic evacuation of Afghans without rigorous or thorough vetting."

In 2023, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., demanded increased transparency after the withdrawal, saying "questions remain to the nature of persons enrolled in domestic resettlement programs."

There will also be questions about how the current administration handled critical questions about the deluge of refugees, however.

Months before the shooting Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the powerful judiciary committee, pressed the Federal Bureau of Investigation for answers regarding security concerns about vetting Afghan evacuees.

In a March 11 letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, the Iowa senator raised questions about the investigation into Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, an Afghan evacuee who was arrested for an ISIS-backed terrorist attack aimed at the 2024 election.

Among the questions were what actions the federal law enforcement agency had taken to monitor Afghan evacuees deemed a national security concern.

Afghans still in U.S. are left in 'legal limbo' refugee group says

The impact a massive probe into the tens of thousands of Afghan nationals who entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome remains unclear but supporters are already biting their nails.

Global Refuge, a nonprofit that has resettled approximately 25,000 Afghans since 2021, condemned the decision to terminate what it called "life-saving protections" for evacuees who assisted the U.S. during its longest war. It is calling on Congress to advance a pathway to permanence for an estimated 11,700 Afghans in the U.S. who are still in legal limbo.

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the group's president and CEO, said ending temporary protected status for Afghans "does not align with the reality of circumstances" in their homeland.

"Conditions remain dire, especially for allies who supported the U.S. mission, as well as women, girls, religious minorities, and ethnic groups targeted by the Taliban," she said in a statement to USA TODAY. "The anxiety among our Afghan clients is real and growing. They want to contribute, work, and live in peace, but now face legal limbo and fear of deportation."

One of Trump's first actions upon returning to the White House this year was halting refugee programs, including certain protections for Afghan evacuees despite widespread reports of Taliban-led repression.

A further elimination could created a domino effect on Afghan nationals, who have no other immigration status or pending application and may begin accruing an unlawful presence, Vignarajah said, potentially triggering bars to future immigration benefits.

She said the temporary protections were never meant t o be a long-term solution, but that its termination by the Trump administration without a permanent alternative will leave those who helped the U.S. in a "precarious position."

"The U.S. made a commitment to protect those who stood with us. Now Congress must deliver on that promise by providing a permanent path to safety and stability," Vignarajah said.

Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac, an organization that helped resettle Afghan allies following the U.S. withdrawal, said in a Nov. 26 post on X that the shooter must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, but he warned against demonizing the entire community.

Afghan immigrants who resettle in the U.S. experience, he said, experience "some of the most extensive security vetting of any population."

Anger over the shooting, however, may make such a pathway impossible as outrage intensifies.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey called the attack "an act of unspeakable violence" as the president has ordered 500 additional National Guard troops to be deployed to Washington.

"If they can't love our country we don't want them," Trump said in his video statement.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National Guard shooting revives warnings of Biden-era refugee program

Reporting by Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect