Imagine a security checkpoint with no guard, no scanner, just a wide-open gate—that’s essentially how an Afghan national, accused of a horrific shooting near the White House, slipped into the U.S.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, charged with first-degree murder after the Nov. 26 shooting in Washington, was admitted to the U.S. in 2021 with minimal screening during the chaotic Kabul airlift, the Washington Examiner reported.

According to DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, the government “barely” checked Lakanwal’s background before he joined over 80,000 evacuees from Afghanistan. Her words to Fox News, “He was barely vetted. There was no biometric vetting,” paint a grim picture of a system gutted for speed over safety.

Flawed Process Exposed in Kabul Airlift

McLaughlin’s revelation shows a deliberate choice to slash standard protocols during the 2021 evacuation. No criminal history checks, no cyber scans, no financial deep dives, just a rush to move bodies across borders.

This wasn’t a one-off oversight but a policy shift, crafted at the highest levels. A Senate aide’s 2021 comment to the Washington Examiner, “They created a brand new, out-of-cloth screening process just for this population,” suggests a checklist so shallow it might as well have been a rubber stamp.

That aide’s frustration rings true when you see how the Defense Department, bound by orders, followed the watered-down rules without question. Central management from DHS and the White House dictated this risky shortcut, abandoning the rigor we’ve demanded since 9/11.

Security Gaps Undermine Public Trust

Screening should mean verifying identity through biometrics, documents, and statements, not a quick glance at incomplete Afghan records. Vetting, the deeper step of in-person interviews to sniff out security risks, was repeatedly skipped for this group.

Post-9/11, these steps became non-negotiable for refugees and immigrants seeking entry. Yet, for Lakanwal and thousands like him, those safeguards vanished under a policy that prioritized volume over vigilance.

The result is a man accused of murder, granted asylum in April, now pleading not guilty to a crime blocks from our nation’s heart. How many others, waved through the same broken system, might pose threats we’ve yet to uncover?

Policy Choices with Deadly Consequences

The Biden administration’s decision to loosen vetting in 2021 wasn’t just bureaucratic laziness; it was a gamble with American lives. Over 82,000 evacuees entered under these lax rules, and now we’re left to wonder who else slipped through.

Lakanwal’s case isn’t merely about one violent act, it’s a glaring signal of systemic failure. If asylum can be granted without thorough checks, what stops history from repeating with even graver outcomes?

National security isn’t a game of chance, yet that’s how it was played during the Kabul airlift. Decisions made in haste, under pressure, have sown doubts about whether our immigration protocols can truly shield us.

Time for Accountability and Reform

This incident demands a hard look at how we balance humanitarian impulses with the duty to protect our citizens. Compassion can’t mean cutting corners that leave us vulnerable to tragedy.

Lawmakers and agencies must rebuild trust by enforcing rigorous vetting, no matter the political heat or logistical strain. If we don’t, cases like Lakanwal’s will erode confidence in a system already stretched thin by ideological battles.

Our safety hinges on learning from this lapse, not excusing it as a one-time mess. Let’s demand policies that honor both our generosity and our right to live without fear of preventable violence.