Is the Trump administration betraying our wartime allies by shutting down immigration?

On November 26, a 29-year old Afghan man, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, shot two National Guardsmen in Washington, DC, 20 year old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and 24 year old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf. Sarah died of her injuries.

The Trump administration is using this tragic incident to crack down on immigration, and have mentioned the Afghan community specifically.

But there is more to the picture. Rahmanullah had reportedly suffered from severe mental health challenges, and tried to reach out for help from the CIA, who he had worked with in Afghanistan, before coming to the US in 2021 as part of an effort initiated by the Biden administration to help our wartime allies. He was granted asylum this year under the Trump administration.

To understand the full picture behind this story, I spoke to Shawn Van Diver, a Navy veteran and the founder of Afghan Evac, an organization which helps our Afghan allies secure a new life in the United States with their families.

Episode Notes:

Afghan Evac: https://afghanevac.org/

Afghan Evac on Substack: https://afghanevac.substack.com/