Refugee Council USA Statement in Response to Shooting of Two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.—Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) condemns last week’s violent attack on two members of the National Guard, resulting in one death and critically wounding another. This is an unimaginable tragedy, and we mourn with their grieving families. We call for justice and accountability for the alleged perpetrator, an Afghan national who served alongside the U.S. mission, was evacuated after the fall of Kabul in August 2021, and was granted asylum in the United States earlier this year.

In the days following the attack, this tragedy has been exploited in the service of further intensifying an already extreme immigration policy agenda. In an alarming move toward collective punishment, we have witnessed the vilification of the entire Afghan and Afghan-American community based on the actions of one individual. This includes not only an immediate halt to visa issuances and “immigration related requests” for Afghan nationals, and a call for reexamining the cases all Afghans who came to the United States during the Biden administration, but also an abrupt halt to all asylum application decisions, and a review of lawful permanent residents from nineteen “countries of concern.” This is in addition to the sweeping re-review of all refugee arrivals under the Biden administration, announced just last week – up to and including those who have already been granted legal permanent residence in the United States. Perhaps most alarming are suggestions that the administration seems prepared to strip citizenship from any naturalized U.S. citizens deemed undesirable.

“In the aftermath of the tragedy of November 26, we must refrain from casting blame or imposing collective punishment on an entire community for the inexcusable actions of one individual,” said John Slocum, Executive Director of Refugee Council USA. “Collective punishments are indefensible, both morally and legally. Casting blame on Afghans, refugees, or immigrants writ large is not sound national security policy, and it does not bring justice to the grieving families. Hate must not beget hate, and violence must not beget violence.” 

RCUSA joins our members, including the Afghan-led Project Anar, in reminding our national leaders of the immense sacrifices our nation’s Afghan allies made, sacrifices that cost many their safety, their homes, their loved ones, and, in many cases, their lives. RCUSA stands with the Afghan allies, and all refugees and newcomers who are building new lives in safety, contributing immensely to their communities, and deserve to live without the fear of being returned to a place where they may face violence and persecution, including those who would be at risk due to the work they carried out as allies to the United States.

Media Contact: Mariam Sayeed, msayeed@rcusa.org

RCUSA is a diverse coalition advocating for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. Individual RCUSA members do not all address all refugee-related issues, nor do all individual members approach common refugee-related issues identically.

###