A video of Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr (R), who is running for U.S. Senate, expressing support for bringing Afghan nationals who assisted the U.S. military into the country through special visa programs has resurfaced in the wake of the deadly shooting in Washington, DC, where an Afghan national — reportedly admitted under President Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome and later in the U.S. unlawfully — allegedly shot two National Guard members, killing one.
Barr stated in the clip:
“We have failed in our obligation to help many of these Afghans who risked their lives and in many cases, died for the cause of their own country in assistance to the United States, and we owe them to help them get into our country with these visas, and the p1 and p2 visas as well. And I voted for these special immigrant visas because it would send a terrible message to our allies around the world that we’re going to abandon you if you help us in your time of need.”
The reemergence of this video comes just two days after the November 26 attack in Washington, DC, where 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal allegedly opened fire on two West Virginia National Guard members, shooting 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom — who later died from her injuries — and critically injuring Andrew Wolfe.
Officials said Lakanwal traveled cross-country to carry out the targeted attack, during which he is said to have shouted “Allahu Akbar” before seizing a guard’s weapon and continuing the assault. Authorities have confirmed he had worked with the CIA in Afghanistan.
The attack has prompted renewed examination of the refugee and visa policies implemented during the Biden administration, with a particular focus on the vetting procedures applied to Afghan nationals. Previous inspector general reports and whistleblower disclosures have pointed to significant security concerns involving individuals admitted through Operation Allies Welcome. Following the attack, President Donald Trump ordered a comprehensive review of Afghan entrants and suspended the processing of immigration requests from Afghan nationals until revised protocols are in place.
Barr has long faced criticism from his primary opponents over his immigration record. The resurfacing of the Afghan visa video, coming just days after the D.C. attack, has fueled a new wave of condemnation and added heightened urgency to the debate within the Kentucky Senate primary. Nate Morris, a businessman and prominent America First candidate, has focused his campaign on contrasts with Barr’s immigration record, highlighting Barr’s past support for amnesty measures and foreign worker visa programs as key points of difference.
Morris, who has referred to Barr as “Mitch McConnell’s understudy,” contends that Barr’s immigration stance is out of touch with Republican voters and compromises national security. He has cited Barr’s long-standing support for foreign visa programs, including his past votes for DACA amnesty and guest worker expansions. Morris also accused Barr of echoing Hillary Clinton’s rhetoric by labeling opponents of amnesty and expanded migration programs “nativists” — a term Barr has used in interviews to describe those who want to restrict both illegal immigration and certain legal visa programs.
National polling has shown strong support among Republican voters for limiting immigration, with many viewing mass migration as a critical threat. Following the D.C. shooting, elected officials like Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) — who has endorsed Nate Morris in the Kentucky Senate primary — and West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey have called for sweeping investigations into Afghan resettlements under Operation Allies Welcome.
Banks urged the immediate location and re-vetting of all Afghan nationals admitted under Biden, while Morrisey referred to the D.C. shooting as a “deeply disturbing” tragedy requiring a comprehensive probe. According to multiple federal law enforcement sources quoted by Fox News, Lakanwal’s permission to remain in the United States under Operation Allies Welcome in 2021 expired in September 2025, and he was residing in the country unlawfully.
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