Following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., the day before Thanksgiving, President Trump announced he wants to “permanently pause migration” at least until he is satisfied that those from Afghanistan and other unstable countries have had their backgrounds thoroughly investigated. The president also wants to revoke the legal status of many of them and expel those who don’t measure up to his standard, which is “loving America.”
Vetting is usually a detailed process for those seeking entry to the U.S., especially when they are from countries associated with terrorism. On Sept. 1, 2021, then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the large number of Afghans who had entered the country under President Biden’s “Operation Allies Welcome” (OAW) program. Psaki said: “I can absolutely assure you that no one is coming into the United States of America who has not been through a thorough screening and background check process.”
After last week’s shooting. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the U.S. one week after Psaki’s comment.
More than 190,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. under OAW and another program called Enduring Welcome, according to a report published this year by the US State Department. Claiming all were properly vetted strains credulity.
If America’s enemies wanted to undermine and eventually destroy the country, sending people here who may have evil intentions is a stealth way to do it. Just as we should not be the policemen of the world, neither should we be expected to be the receivers of the world. We can’t afford it on several levels.