by Matthew Holloway | Dec 5, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The murder and attempted murder of West Virginia National Guard Soldiers Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, in November is being investigated as a possible act of international terrorism. The attack on the soldiers seems to align with warnings the Biden administration was given in 2021 by then-prosecutor with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Congressman Abe Hamadeh.
The latest reports from Washington, D.C., indicate that Beckstrom and Wolfe were shot in what law enforcement officials are calling a “targeted” attack near the Farragut West Metro station near the White House. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told a press conference that both Guard members had been sworn in to assist with the ongoing crime suppression efforts in the nation’s Capitol for less than 24 hours, according to Fox News. She described a “brazen and targeted attack,” and said the Guard members were “ambushed.”
“A lone gunman opened fire without provocation, ambush style,” Pirro told reporters. “Armed with a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver, one Guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the Guardsmen again. Another Guardsman is struck several times.” Nearby Guard members rushed the assailant; one opened fire, and they quickly subdued the attacker.
Pirro told reporters, “This is what happens in this country when people are allowed in, who are not properly vetted.”
President Donald Trump informed the nation last Thursday evening that U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom of Summersville, one of the West Virginia National Guard members ambushed in Washington, D.C., had passed away from her injuries, in post to X.
According to Reuters, the suspect first entered the U.S. in September 2021, as part of the Biden administration’s Afghan resettlement program: Operation Allies Welcome, the very program Hamadeh wrote about in a 2021 op-ed for the Arizona Republic. The suspect had worked with the CIA in Afghanistan as far back as at least 2011 and was granted asylum in April of this year. “In terms of vetting, nothing came up,” an unnamed senior U.S. official told Fox News. “He was clean on all checks.”
Hamadeh’s op-ed offered a troubling, almost prescient warning to the Biden administration after the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He cautioned that a string of incidents that year created “concern whether the Biden administration is doing enough to vet refugees arriving on American soil.” He noted, “We need to do more rigorous checks.”
The reports that Lakanwal passed “all checks” would seem to support Hamadeh and Pirro’s conclusion.
“By not properly vetting refugees, we do a disservice to the Afghans who served with us. No vetting is foolproof, and bad actors may still go undetected. However, a proper vetting process can greatly reduce the risk,” Hamadeh wrote. He added, “The State Department has identified Phoenix as a top destination for refugees. Arizonans are generous, and a vast majority of Arizonans agree that the United States should accept Afghan refugees who assisted us in the U.S.-led NATO mission.”
Hamadeh went on to describe newly implemented security vetting that included: “biometrics, biographical and social media data collection,” stating, “This process is rigorous and can take weeks and months to complete, and is similar to the process that Afghan refugees should be undergoing right now.”
He warned that the Biden administration instead insisted upon releasing the Afghan refugees “to their permanent states after only four weeks on U.S. military installations.” He commented, “Americans should be skeptical that tens of thousands of refugees here on humanitarian parole status could be thoroughly vetted in that short amount of time.”
Hamadeh concluded: “Arizona leaders should also demand answers from the federal government and require that the vetting process is shared between federal and state officials in order to ensure the safety of Arizonans.”
As of this report, West Virginia National Guard Member Wolfe remains hospitalized in serious condition. The suspect was also hospitalized due to his injuries and remains there under heavy guard.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Staff Reporter | Dec 3, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The terroristic attacks and threats by Afghan nationals in recent weeks have renewed concerns about the vetting of those resettled in Arizona.
On the day before Thanksgiving last week, an Afghan national shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.; one of the two died, and the other remains in critical condition.
The shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, remains in custody. He entered the country in late 2021 with his wife and five children under Biden’s resettlement program, Operation Allies Welcome, following the botched Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021.
Volunteers who worked with Lakanwal’s family claimed in interviews with NPR that Lakanwal didn’t show signs of radicalization prior to the terrorist attack. Rather, they claimed Lakanwal showed signs of mental instability and struggles to adjust to life in the U.S.
These volunteers also revealed that Lakanwal would drive away from his Washington state residence for long stretches in the weeks leading up to his attack, traveling to other states without explanation given to those around him — including Arizona.
Similarly, sources told ABC News that Lakanwal’s mental health was in decline leading up to the attack. Lakanwal was allegedly stressed by family finances, since his work permit expired and he was unable to find steady work.
However, sources advised ABC News that Lakanwal was granted asylum in April of this year, which grants automatic work authorization, after applying last year.
Approval of Lakanwal’s asylum petition occurred on the basis of the previous administration’s vetting procedures, which have been in question from the start of the resettlement program.
Another Afghan citizen — Mohammad Dawood Alokozay residing in Fort Worth, Texas — was charged on Tuesday for terroristic threats. Alokozay threatened to commit a suicide bombing as part of a jihad against Americans.
Like Lakanwal, Alokazay passed allegedly thorough vetting procedures under the previous administration.
According to the archived Operation Allies Welcome webpage, the Department of Homeland Security deployed 400 personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, and Secret Service to multiple locations abroad to conduct processing, screening, and vetting alongside other federal agencies.
Screening and vetting consisted of biometric and biographic screenings.
About 200,000 Afghans were granted asylum under the initial resettlement program, Operation Allies Welcome, and its successor, Operation Enduring Welcome. A little under 4,000 Afghan refugees have been brought into Arizona as part of the resettlement program since 2022, per the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Arizona Refugee Resettlement Program.
The Trump administration is reexamining these Afghan asylees following this latest terrorist attack.
Back in 2021, congressional leaders questioned the thoroughness of these procedures.
This resettlement program had red flags from the start.
Officials identified numerous incidents concerning Afghan men arriving at intake centers and claiming female children as their wives. These child brides reported being raped by these men and forced to marry them.
Congressman Andy Biggs asked about these incidents and others in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security. Biggs also addressed the claims of refugee status given to Afghan men with criminal records or past terrorist organization associations.
In January, less than a week after taking office, Vice President J.D. Vance told CBS News that the Biden administration hadn’t properly vetted those awarded refugee status.
“Now that we know we have vetting problems with a lot of these refugee programs, we absolutely cannot unleash thousands of unvetted people into our country,” said Vance.
Last October, two Afghan nationals were arrested for planning an Election Day terrorist attack inspired by ISIS. Abdullah Haji Zada and Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi; the latter individual was brought into the country days after the Biden administration withdrew from Afghanistan.
These individuals were also alleged to have been properly vetted.
President Trump paused migration from third-world countries following the terrorist attack. In the Sunday press gaggle aboard Air Force One, Trump said Americans don’t need or want these foreigners.
“We don’t want those people. Does that make sense?” said Trump. “You know why we don’t want them? Because many have been no good and they shouldn’t be in our country.”
The federal government spent over $14 billion on the Afghan resettlement program.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Jan 24, 2022 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
A group of Afghan refugees were caught wandering the golf course of a local gated resort community in Scottsdale, according to security reports first obtained by the Arizona Daily Independent. The group was part of the Afghan refugees housed at the Homewood Suites, a nearby hotel that made headlines last year for sheltering illegal immigrants for around seven months. The refugees aren’t confined to the hotel and permitted to roam the surrounding areas at their leisure; the hotel sits across the street from the gated community.
Mike Anderson — security director for the community, Gainey Ranch Golf and Country Club — informed residents that the refugees were anticipated to be gone from the nearby hotel by April. Anderson further informed residents that their staff had upped security measures.
“The Homewood Suites site is being used by the federal government to temporarily house Afghan refugees evacuated by the U.S. in August 2021. The families and individuals housed there are free to come and go as they please,” wrote Anderson. “These individuals who are found walking on the course GRCA believes are from the settlement program defined above and followed vehicles in through the north vehicle entry gate. The individuals were escorted out of the community.”
As AZ Free News reported last week, not even Scottsdale’s leadership or law enforcement were apprised of the refugee situation until over a week after the federal government began to house them in the hotel. Although the hotel no longer functions as the Homewood Suites — or even would be identified legally as the Homewood Suites — the managing company answered the phones last year and again this week as the “Homewood Suites.”
It appears that the lack of notice from the federal government didn’t give Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) leadership any pause.
Unlike their response to parental concerns over the presence of comprehensive sex education (CRE) and critical race theory (CRT) in curriculum, SUSD was quick to act when they learned of the refugee children. AZ Free News reported Sunday on Superintendent Scott Menzel’s announcement promising SUSD would immediately plan to provide educational services and support to around 80 school-aged Afghan children.
Gainey Club security alerted the Scottsdale Police Department (SPD) of the trespass incident. SPD contacted the group managing the hotel, one hired by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), to put the refugees on notice about trespassing at Gainey Ranch.
Locals have begun to report sightings of Afghans panhandling on the streets.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 23, 2022 | Education, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
Nearly 300 Afghan refugees are being relocated to a former hotel in Scottsdale after being housed at various military installations, resulting in the mobilization of a Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) team “to plan for providing educational services and support” to any school-aged refugees, according to Superintendent Scott Menzel.
SUSD “has an obligation to provide educational services to homeless students who reside within the district,” Menzel noted in a district newsletter. That obligation is based on compliance with the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
“While we did not anticipate this influx of new students, we are committed to marshalling the resources and supports necessary to ensure that these children are welcomed into our schools as they transition to their news lives in this country,” he wrote.
The newsletter comments also referenced questions raised by some in the community about whether the district should be serving the refuge children. Instead of addressing public health, staffing, and security concerns, Menzel simply cited federal law as leaving the district no option.
Although Menzel’s comments were included in the recent newsletter, there has been nothing posted to SUSD’s Facebook page. In addition, district officials have not disclosed what conversations they have had with state and federal officials about compensation for the sudden influx of non-English speaking students.
More information is expected to be made public on Jan. 25 when the SUSD governing board meets.
Last August, Gov. Doug Ducey stated that Afghan refugees will be welcomed in Arizona. He noted that the Arizona Department of Economic Security, through its Arizona Office of Refugee Resettlement, would help secure housing, employment, and education for the refugees.
The refugees are being housed at the former Homewood Suites on North Scottsdale Road. The property is currently in bankruptcy but was approved by federal officials in early 2021 as a contracted temporary migrant transition facility.
There was no advance notice to Scottsdale city officials about the migrant arrangement last year. That contract expired at the year of 2021, but now the non-profit International Rescue Committee (IRC) is utilizing the massive hotel property for the next few months as temporary housing while efforts are undertaken to place each refuge or refugee family unit in homes with sponsors in the greater Phoenix area.
Some refugees began arriving at the Homewood Suites before Jan. 14. According to Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther, “next to no one was aware” that the property was being repurposed.
Walther issued an advisory to Mayor David Ortega and council members before Menzel’s comments, noting there was no heads up to local authorities about the IRC’s plans to house unsupervised Afghan refugees within the city.
The IRC has now told city officials that the site is expected to use only through April. As far as security, IRC plans to hire security guards but made it clear that the refugees are free to come and go as they wish.
Security was not in place prior to the arrival of the first group of refugees, Walther noted. The refugees are expected to be gone from the hotel property by April, according to Walther.
“This is a federal government activity over which the city of Scottsdale has no oversight,” a city spokesperson recently told AZ Free News.
While Menzel was reticent about the situation, one of his school principal’s issued a detailed email to Cherokee Elementary staff. He reported that more than 80 school-aged refugees are expected to be enrolled across three, possibly four, SUSD schools.
Those students, according to Principal Walter Chantler, could speak one of four languages. And many of the youth, particularly the girls, have never been in school.
by Corinne Murdock | Jan 21, 2022 | Education, News
By Corinne Murdock |
The Scottsdale hotel that made headlines last year for sheltering hundreds of illegal immigrants has been repurposed this year for sheltering Afghan refugees. In an email obtained by State Representative Joseph Chaplik (R-Scottsdale), Scottsdale Police Department (SPD) Chief of Police Jeff Walther briefed the mayor and council on a situation that it appears not even local law enforcement was aware of until after the fact.
According to Walther’s relayed intelligence from the organization contracted by the State Department and the Department of Defense (DOD) to run the shelter, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), refugees were relocated from military bases beginning January 12. The refugees won’t be confined to the hotel and may roam the community at their leisure because the law prohibits their detainment. They will reside at the hotel until they are matched with sponsor families throughout the Valley. At most, Walther said there would be 300 refugees housed at the hotel.
Walther reassured the council and mayor that the refugees were vaccinated, vetted by the State Department, and educated on American culture. The chief of police then admitted that there’s no security on site at the moment, but said IRC promised there would be at some point in the future.
If anyone attempts to contact the hotel, they will be met by individuals purporting to operate a regular hotel. Walther explained that the IRC hired a hotel management company to disguise the site was a functioning hotel serving “a closed clientele” — i.e., the refugees. At no point will the State Department or DOD manage the hotel or install any personnel there.
Just like last year, this reporter called the hotel. A woman answered, identifying the establishment as Homewood Suites; there was a substantial amount of background chatter. The woman informed this reporter that they were accepting reservations, but that there weren’t any available rooms until June, but didn’t disclose why.
AZ Free News inquired with Scottsdale’s mayor and city council about the hotel, and its reported lack of security for the refugees. A spokesperson for the mayor and council submitted this response, essentially repeating portions of information relayed by Walther and stating that city officials couldn’t do anything about something happening within their jurisdiction because the federal government was involved:
“The city was recently informed that a nonprofit organization working on behalf of the federal government has rented part of a vacant hotel in Scottsdale to house Afghan refugees evacuated by the U.S. in August 2021. This site is being used as a temporary housing facility while each resident/resident family is assigned a sponsor family to live with throughout the greater Phoenix Area. The individuals at this location were previously housed at U.S. military bases. While there, they were vetted by the U.S. State Department and vaccinated against COVID-19. Scottsdale is in contact with the organization operating this site, but has no current authority to prevent the hotel from being rented for this purpose. This is a federal government activity over which the city of Scottsdale has no oversight.”
Chaplik warned his constituents that their city council had, once again, allowed unsupervised foreigners to occupy a building at the heart of their community.
“Residents of Scottsdale, is this what you voted for? City Council refused to put up a fight when ICE took over this hotel and now the Feds are bringing in Afghan refugees with NO public notice whatsoever. And NO security hired yet,” wrote Chaplik. “This is our community and council doesn’t care.”
As AZ Free News reported last June, the hotel was converted into a migrant shelter by ICE almost overnight to offset the unprecedented surge of illegal immigrants caused by President Joe Biden. The shelter operated as a temporary migrant transition facility from May until the end of last month. Unlike the operations that concluded recently at the hotel, this shelter won’t be overseen by ICE.
On Friday, our other reporters drove by the hotel. They reported seeing garbage piled around the building, with employees hauling more garbage out of the building. There were no barricades around the hotel.
Walther claimed in closing that there have been few issues in the past with the refugees in the Phoenix area and across the nation. He informed the mayor and council that SPD met with IRC officials on Friday afternoon.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
