KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The George W. Bush Institute has criticized the US government’s decision to pause and reexamine immigration applications from Afghanistan, saying entire populations should not be penalized for the alleged crimes of one individual.
In a statement on Saturday, the institute highlighted that tens of thousands of Afghans risked their lives over two decades by supporting the United States and its international allies in Afghanistan.
The criticism follows a shooting by Abdul Rahman Lakanwal, a former Afghan soldier, who is accused of killing a National Guard member in Washington. Lakanwal, relocated to the United States in 2021 under the “Operation Allies Welcome” programme with his wife and five children, has been charged with first-degree murder.
Following the shooting, the Trump administration halted granting asylum and citizenship to migrants from Afghanistan and several other countries. The Bush Institute emphasized that the shooter alone is responsible for his actions and that Afghans should not face collective punishment.
The suspension of immigration applications affects not only those already in the United States but also thousands of Afghans who remain stranded abroad. According to the Bush Institute, these measures prevent Afghans who assisted the US from receiving travel visas and subject the cases of those already relocated to renewed scrutiny.
The institute called for adherence to “long-standing” US principles of providing refuge to the oppressed, noting that Afghan migrants have contributed positively to American communities, in stark contrast with the alleged crimes of the shooter. Many Afghans were forced to flee their homeland due to Taliban brutality and their opposition to the regime, the statement noted.
Earlier, 61 members of the US Congress sent a letter to the secretaries of state and homeland security criticizing the administration’s approach, accusing it of collectively punishing Afghan migrants and exploiting the recent attack to justify the policy change. “The horrific actions of one individual should not be used to vilify every individual from Afghanistan who legally seeks to live in the United States,” the lawmakers wrote.
The policy shift has heightened fear and uncertainty among Afghan migrants in the US and those still awaiting relocation, while also triggering increased raids and arrests across the country. According to The Associated Press, since November 26, roughly two dozen Afghan migrants, mostly in Northern California, have been detained. In the past week, nine Afghan men were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during routine case-status check-ins.
