What was the “Operation Welcoming Allies” that allowed some Afghans to enter the United States?

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a suspected Afghan man Two National Guard members were shot In Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, he was in the United States after entering the country in 2021 under a program called Operation Allied Welcome. His motives remain unknown.

Here’s a look at why the program was created and how Afghans who entered the United States were screened.

Operation Allied Origins Welcome

when Kabul fell into the hands of the Taliban In August 2021, there were chaotic scenes as thousands of Afghans rushed to the airport desperate to escape. The world watched in horror as some were crushed to death in crowds trying to escape.

The US exit from Afghanistan occurred during the term of former President Joe Biden, but it was initiated by the first Trump administration, which… Signing an agreement with the Taliban 2020 to withdraw after two decades in the country.

Announcing the end of the war on August 31, 2021, Biden praised the US evacuation of Afghans as unprecedented and pledged to continue helping people under threat.

"As for the Afghans, we and our partners transported 100,000 of them by air." He said in a speech. "We will continue to work to help more at-risk people leave the country. We are far from finished."

Two days before this speech, he had issued his instructions to the Department of Homeland Security "Lead and coordinate ongoing efforts across the federal government to support vulnerable Afghans, including those who have worked with us in Afghanistan over the past two decades, as they resettle safely to the United States."

Those efforts have been called for Operation Allied Welcome (OAW). The program was created to allow Afghans — especially those who might be targeted by the Taliban because of their work with allied forces during their 20 years in Afghanistan — to enter the United States for two years on parole without obtaining permanent immigration status. They were expected to then apply for other means of remaining in the country, such as asylum.

About 40% of those who came were eligible for special immigrant visas because of the high risks they took to help the United States, or were a family member of someone who helped the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

OAW was around for about a year and then transitioned into a long-term program called Operation Always Welcome. Nearly 200,000 Afghans have been resettled in the United States under both programs.

How were they checked?

The Department of Homeland Security said the Afghans had surrendered "strict" Auditing To ensure that they do not pose a threat to national security. About 400 employees of US agencies conducted the inspections in question "Biometric and CV checks conducted by intelligence, law enforcement and counter-terrorism specialists," The agency said.

"This process includes reviewing each Afghan’s fingerprints, photos, other biometric data, and biography before allowing them to travel to the United States." He said.

After arriving in the United States, Afghans were processed at American military bases before being allowed into society.

However, the program has come under some criticism from Republicans who say the Afghans have not been properly vetted. In 2024, DHS Office of Inspector General issued a report He admitted some shortcomings, including inaccurate data in some files of Afghans who came through the program.

Another report was issued in June of this year by the Department of Justice looking into The role of the FBI In wow.

"According to the FBI, the need to immediately evacuate Afghans exceeded the normal processes required to determine whether individuals attempting to enter the United States pose a threat to national security, increasing the risk that bad actors would attempt to exploit the expedited evacuation process." The report said.

She noted that 55 individuals evacuated from Afghanistan under the OAW were later identified on terrorism watch lists. However, the report mostly concluded that the FBI did a good job of pointing out potential threats and that the majority of evacuees were not considered security risks.

What is the situation of the Afghans now?

Following the shooting of National Guard members on Wednesday, President Trump criticized the OAW on social media, saying: "We must now re-screen every foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden and we must take all necessary measures to ensure that any foreigner who does not belong here or adds benefit to our country is removed from any country."

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said "The Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 because of his previous work with the US government, including the CIA."

Shortly after the shooting, US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Announce It stopped processing immigration applications submitted by Afghan citizens.

but Tens of thousands Of Afghans are already forgotten. Worldwide, more than 40,000 Afghans are still seeking resettlement in the United States, and the US government has approved the transfer of more than 10,000 of them.

Hundreds of veterans They urged the administration not to abandon those who fought alongside the Americans during the war.

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