For Immediate Release: Congressman Wesley Hunt Calls on Director Edlow to Fully Disclose the Vetting Process of Rahmanullah Lakanwal
Contact: Matthew Topolski
Email: matthew.topolski@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Wesley Hunt is calling on Director Edlow to fully disclose the vetting procedures used for Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
In the aftermath of the brutal attack in our nation’s capital, an attack that claimed the life of Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and left Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, severely wounded, Congressman Hunt is demanding clear answers on how this individual was ever permitted to set foot on American soil.
In a formal letter to Director Edlow, who leads U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Congressman Hunt directs his inquiry toward the vetting process that resulted in Lakanwal’s entry into the United States.
According to multiple reports, including NPR and ABC, Lakanwal entered through the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program.
The HOPE Act of 2021—authored by Senator John Cornyn and Senator Alex Padilla—expanded this program by authorizing 50,000 additional SIVs for Afghan contractors.
Policies like the HOPE Act have recklessly opened the door for dangerous individuals to enter our country, putting Americans at risk and compromising our national security.
The American people deserve answers. They deserve accountability. And they deserve to know why, under the Biden Administration, Washington’s leadership continues to place the interests of foreign nationals above the safety of American citizens.