Following the shooting of two National Guardsmen from West Virginia on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. allegedly by an Afghan asylum seeker, a past vote in the U.S. House of Representatives is being increasingly scrutinized.

In July 2021, Congress passed a Democrat-introduced measure, p roviding additional visas with relaxed restrictions for Afghan nationals after the United States' botched withdrawal from the Middle Eastern country.

The accused assailant, Afghan Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the United States in September 2021, just a little over two months later. He later obtained asylum in April 2025.

While Congress overwhelmingly passed the measure, 16 members voted against it, citing national security concerns created by weakened restrictions on Afghan immigrants. U.S. Rep. Barry Mo

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