Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told Newsmax on Monday that the U.S. must strengthen — and continuously monitor — the vetting of migrants entering the country, including Afghans brought in under Operation Allies Welcome following the fall of Kabul in 2021.
Appearing on Newsmax's "Newsline," Sund said last week's ambush that left a National Guard member dead and another seriously wounded in Washington, D.C., underscores significant gaps in the screening process and the need for evaluations even after people arrive in America.
"I think it is necessary. I think it needs to be done," Sund said, emphasizing that the issue goes beyond initial background checks. "Not only stricter vetting — there needs to be some continued vetting."
Sund pointed to Wednesday's shooting involving an Afghan who entered the country under the Biden administration program that resettled tens of thousands of the suspect's countrymen after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Sund noted that this case was "not an isolated incident," warning that multiple individuals who arrived under the same program have since raised red flags.
According to Sund, the suspect in last week's shooting, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, arrived in the U.S. just days after the ISIS suicide bombing at Kabul's Abbey Gate — one of the deadliest attacks during the evacuation.
The timing, he said, illustrates why a more robust vetting system is crucial.
"You need to have better vetting," Sund reiterated. "You need to have continuous connectivity with these people to see if something's happening with them — if they've kind of disappeared, withdrawn."
He pointed to early signs that the suspect became increasingly isolated in the weeks leading up to the attack, noting reports that he stopped attending mosque and withdrew from his community.
Sund described these behavioral shifts as "telltale signs that he's going through some type of radicalization process."
Operation Allies Welcome has faced scrutiny as critics argue that the speed of the evacuation prevented proper background checks.
Sund's comments add to a growing chorus of national security voices calling for stricter oversight.
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