Trump targets Afghans over Washington shooting, rights group counters with ‘individual’s act’ argument | World News
A US-based nonprofit that has been working towards the resettlement of Afghans who worked with the US forces during the US invasion of Afghanan has urged the Donald Trump adminration not to target the entire community over the shooting incident in Washington DC on Wednesday.AfghanEvac, in a statement posted on social media, said the organisation condemned the shooting that left two National Guard troops critically injured.
“We reject and condemn anyone who uses, or seeks to use, violence, and we stand with every American who is horrified and saddened this crime,” a statement issued AfghanEvac President, Shawn VanDiver, said.
National Guard patrol on the National Mall near the US Capitol in Washington. (Photo: AP)
Washington shooting
The shooting was carried out Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who served alongside the US troops in Afghanan. The 29-year-old came to the US in September 2021 as part of Operation Allies Welcome, the federal relocation programme launched Joe Biden after the American withdrawal from Afghanan.
Operation Allies Welcome
Under Operation Allies Welcome, Washington had helped evacuate over 120,000 people who had worked closely with US troops from Afghanan, after the Taliban retook control of the country.
Out of this, around 76,000 were flown into the US between July 2021 and March 2022, while others are stuck in countries including the UAE. In July this year, amid reports of the Afghan evacuees facing deportation from the UAE, Trump had said that he would try to save them.
Trump wants all Afghan immigrants re-examined
However, following the shooting incident on Wednesday, which Trump called ‘an act of terror’, the US President said Washington will now re-examine every single ‘alien’, or undocumented immigrant, who has entered the United States from Afghanan under the Biden adminration and ensure the removal of those who don’t add benefit to America.
“We are not going to put up on these kinds of assaults on law and order people who shouldn’t even be in our country. We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanan under Biden, and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country. If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” the US president said.
Police keep a presence following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers near the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
‘Individual’s isolated violent act’
According to AfghanEvac, Afghan immigrants and wartime allies who resettle in the US undergo “some of the most extensive security vetting of any population entering the country.”
Our statement regarding today’s horrific shooting. Our hearts go out to the brave guardsmen attacked today. We will not let the action of one deranged asshole be the excuse used to cause harm to an entire community of people. pic.twitter.com/LcMODaYEXD— Shawn VanDiver (@shawnjvandiver) November 27, 2025
“This individual’s isolated and violent act shouldn’t be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community,” the statement said.
