Dozens of military veterans and advocates crowded a Senate hearing room Wednesday to show their support for Afghans whose right to be in the United States is being challenged by Republicans after an Afghan parolee shot two National Guard soldiers in November, killing one of them.
At the hearing, called "Biden’s Afghan Parolee Program – A Trojan Horse with Flawed Vetting and Deadly Consequences," Republicans repeatedly claimed dangerous Afghans were let into the country after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.
"Tens of thousands of people admitted into this country — we have no idea of their actual background," said Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri. "We have no idea of their potential terrorist connections. And in many cases, we now have no idea where they are or what they're doing, who they're connected with, or what they're capable of."
Andrew Sullivan is the executive director of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit that advocates for Iraqi and Afghan allies. He said Hawley's assertion just isn't true.
"They served alongside American troops, diplomats and intelligence community professionals and were vetted day in and day out," Sullivan said.
Sullivan was one of the veterans at the hearing. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army infantry officer. He says they sacrificed a lot for the U.S. during the war.
"I had Afghan pilots that came and gave me ammo and water when we were running low on both when we were in (a) contact situation," Sullivan said. "I had an Afghan EOD platoon leader that died, trying to render safe an IED that was ... meant to attack my convoy."
He said Afghans helped keep Americans safe.
"They were just truly integral to keeping us alive," he said. "I think it can't be understated."
One of them was Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. During the war in Afghanistan Lakanwal served in a counter-terrorism unit ran by the CIA.
He was known to the U.S. and granted humanitarian parole. He was evacuated from Afghanistan in August 2021. In April, the Trump administration granted him asylum protection.
But, he reportedly felt abandoned by the U.S. government.
On Nov. 26, Lakanwal allegedly shot two National Guardsmen deployed to Washington, D.C.
Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed.
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-CA, accused Republicans of using the attack to justify President Trump's anti-immigrant crackdown.
"What we walked into was an ongoing effort by the administration and others to exploit a single attack — as heinous as it was — to justify the freezing of all asylum approvals," Padilla said at the hearing.
Investigators from the Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security inspectors general (IG) offices testified Wednesday about their findings that early in the evacuation of Afghanistan some Afghans were admitted without certain documentation.
Under questioning from Democratic Senator Christopher Coons, DHS Deputy IG Craig Adelman testified his office recommended full screening and vetting of all Afghan evacuees. It subsequently closed that recommendation when Customs and Border Protection complied.
"CBP provided us with data to illustrate that the recurrent vetting process was created and followed," Adelman said.
A Justice Department IG report published in 2025 said federal investigators did their jobs vetting Afghans.
"The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that each of the responsible elements of the FBI assigned to support the evacuations under Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome executed their respective roles in accordance with applicable guidance" the report says. "Further, when potential threats to national security were identified related to certain evacuees, we found that the FBI used its investigative authorities to mitigate those potential threats."
No one from the DOJ OIG testified at Wednesday's hearing.
Nadim Yousify was an Afghan translator from 2010 to 2015. He came to the U.S., became a citizen and joined the Marine Corps.
He testified at Wednesday's hearing, telling lawmakers the country made promises to Afghans over 20 years of war.
"When I served as an interpreter, I stood between U.S. personnel and uncertainty," Yousify said. "I translated not just language, but intent, warnings, and threats. Afghan allies helped save American lives. They believed in the promises made to them."
He said Afghans proved themselves over and over again.
"It is essential to separate individual criminal acts from the reality of an entire population that was vetted, tested, and proven through service," Yousify said.
Shawn VanDiver is cofounder of #AfghanEvac. The San Diego Navy veteran has been working to relocate Afghans since August 2021.
"The idea that we don't have enough information about Afghans falls apart as soon as you apply any amount of critical thinking," he said.
Like Sullivan, VanDiver attended the hearing, as did many other veterans.
"Dozens and dozens of veterans and battle buddies showed up in solidarity," he said. "Every single person in that room that wasn't a government witness was somebody there supporting Afghans. It was remarkable. The hearing room was packed."
Afghan resettlement efforts have taken a significant hit since Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
The Afghans who resettled in the U.S. after the country fell to the Taliban came one of three ways: via Special Immigrant Visas (SIV), asylum and humanitarian parole.
Asylum processing and travel was suspended on the first day of Trump’s new administration —including for thousands of Afghans already approved to relocate to the U.S.
Parole was canceled in May with the end of Temporary Protected Status for Afghans.
And SIV processing stopped after the November shooting.
Padilla said these policies are hurting Afghan families.
"The truth is the real issue here is so many Afghan refugees continue to struggle — not just with the trauma of war, but the frustration and anxiety of an uncertain legal future here in the United States," he said.
This week the administration announced it would stop issuing all immigrant visas to 75 countries — including Afghanistan.
On Wednesday the State Department notified Congress it intends to close Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, where about 1,100 Afghans have been stranded since Trump canceled all asylum processing on Jan. 20, 2025.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-NY, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the decision a "betrayal."
"Closing CAS is the latest reckless step by the Trump administration to dismantle every remaining pathway for these allies to safely relocate in the United States," Meeks said in a statement. "It is a profound betrayal of those who stood with us in Afghanistan and of America's word."
According to #AfghanEvac, at least 150 Afghans at CAS are immediate family members of U.S. military service members.
The State Department hasn't said where the Afghans are to go next.
