Refugee groups worry about backlash after National Guard shooting

SEATTLE (AP) — People who work with refugees worry that those who have fled dangerous situations to start over in America will face a backlash after authorities said an Afghan national shot two National Guard soldiers this week, killing one of them.

Many Afghans living in the United States are afraid to leave their homes, fearing they will be searched by immigration officials or attacked with hate speech, said Sean Van Diver, president of San Diego-based #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who helped the United States during the two-decade war.

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“They’re terrified. It’s crazy,” Vandiver told The Associated Press on Thursday. “People are acting xenophobic because of a deranged man. He does not represent all Afghans. He represents himself.”

Officials say Rahmanullah Lakkanwal, 29, drove from his home in Bellingham, Washington, to the nation’s capital where he shot two members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed in Washington, D.C.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died from her injuries. Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remained in hospital in critical condition.

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Lakhanwal worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan, according to #AfghanEvac and two sources who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The group said he applied for asylum during the Biden administration and was approved for asylum this year after undergoing a comprehensive examination.

After the shooting, Trump said his administration would review everyone who entered the country under former President Joe Biden — an action his administration had been planning even before the shooting.

Refugee groups fear they will now be considered guilty by association.

There must be a comprehensive investigation and justice for those who have been harmed, said Ambassador Ashraf Haidari, founder and president of Displaced International, which provides resources, advocacy and support to displaced people around the world, “but even as we seek accountability, the alleged actions of an individual cannot be allowed to define, burden or put entire communities at risk.”

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The person responsible for the shooting should face justice under the law, said Matthew Soerens, vice president of World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization that helps settle refugees, including Afghan nationals, in Whatcom County, Washington.

“Regardless of the nationality, religion or specific legal status of the alleged perpetrator, we urge our country to recognize these evil acts as the actions of one person, and not to unfairly judge others who share the same characteristics,” he said.