A former U.S. soldier, who served alongside American troops in Afghanistan under Operation Allies Welcome, is now accused of shooting multiple National Guardsmen during a training exercise at a range in New Mexico. The suspect, an Afghan national who was resettled in the US after working with the military, used a handgun to carry out the attack, leaving several injured.
The relative of the suspect, who spoke to NBC News, expressed shock and confusion over his alleged actions, stating that they "can't believe it" that he would commit such violence. The relative said they had not spoken to the suspect in months but last knew him was working for Amazon as an independent contractor.
Operation Allies Welcome was a Biden-era initiative aimed at providing safe resettlement for vulnerable Afghans and those who worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan. However, critics have questioned the vetting process for these individuals, with some arguing that it was inadequate.
President Donald Trump has called for re-examining all those who entered the US from Afghanistan during the Biden administration, citing concerns about security vetting. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the suspect had been unvetted and mass-paroled into the US under Operation Allies Welcome.
Afghan immigrant groups have pushed back against this narrative, arguing that extensive security vetting was already in place for those who resettle in the US. A representative from AfghanEvac, a group supporting Afghan immigrants, said that "this individual's isolated act" should not define an entire community.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services has since halted processing of immigration requests related to Afghan nationals pending further review of security protocols.
The relative of the suspect, who spoke to NBC News, expressed shock and confusion over his alleged actions, stating that they "can't believe it" that he would commit such violence. The relative said they had not spoken to the suspect in months but last knew him was working for Amazon as an independent contractor.
Operation Allies Welcome was a Biden-era initiative aimed at providing safe resettlement for vulnerable Afghans and those who worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan. However, critics have questioned the vetting process for these individuals, with some arguing that it was inadequate.
President Donald Trump has called for re-examining all those who entered the US from Afghanistan during the Biden administration, citing concerns about security vetting. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the suspect had been unvetted and mass-paroled into the US under Operation Allies Welcome.
Afghan immigrant groups have pushed back against this narrative, arguing that extensive security vetting was already in place for those who resettle in the US. A representative from AfghanEvac, a group supporting Afghan immigrants, said that "this individual's isolated act" should not define an entire community.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services has since halted processing of immigration requests related to Afghan nationals pending further review of security protocols.
... i keep thinking about how easy it is for someone to come into our country, get a new life, and then snap like that 
... it's not even just the vetting process, it's like we're all just trying to survive and help each other out, you know? 
and now this guy who was part of this program, which was supposed to be about helping ppl... but maybe he wasn't the right fit for that or something? 
anyway i feel bad for the guardsmen who got hurt, but at the same time i'm thinking about all these other ppl who have been resettled here and how we can make sure they're safe too 
... it's like, what are our responsibilities as a society? 
It's a classic case of too much trust and not enough scrutiny.
The fact that Homeland Security Secretary Noem is pointing fingers and trying to deflect blame by saying he was mass-paroled under Operation Allies Welcome is just ridiculous.
This situation is a stark reminder that even those with the best intentions can go terribly wrong, but it's how we respond to these mistakes that really matters 
? And what about the family member saying they're shocked and confused by their relative's actions? Yeah, that doesn't add up 
.
. I mean, what kind of security vetting process is there when they're saying someone like this slipped through? Like, didn't they do any background checks or anything?