What was the decision and timeline in Rahmanullah Lakanwal’s asylum or removal proceedings?

1. Timeline in plain language: arrival, application, approval

Reporting across outlets traces a clear timeline: Lakanwal entered the U.S. in September 2021 under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome relocation program, applied for asylum in December 2024, and — according to a federal law enforcement dossier seen by Reuters and multiple news reports — his asylum claim was approved in April 2025 ^{[2] [3] [1]}. Several outlets cite April 2025 generally; Reuters specifies April 23, 2025 as the approval date ^{[2] [1]}.

2. How reporters and officials describe the source of the dates

The April 2025 approval date appears in a federal law enforcement dossier reviewed by Reuters and is echoed by other organizations that cite law enforcement and government sources ^{[1] [2]}. CBS and CNN reporting, relying on caseworker interviews and law enforcement briefings, say he applied in December 2024 and was granted asylum in April 2025 after passing reviews ^{[4] [5]}.

3. What the asylum process reportedly involved in this case

News accounts describe Lakanwal’s asylum application as a formal USCIS process that included vetting steps such as background checks, social media reviews and interviews — steps that reporting says he “passed” before the April 2025 approval ^[4]. Reuters’ dossier notes prior vetting tied to his work with U.S. partners in Afghanistan and said no disqualifying information was found during earlier checks ^[1].

4. Disputes and gaps: what officials have avoided saying

Some Trump administration officials and spokespeople have been criticized for dodging specific answers about the precise timing and administrative responsibility for his approval; Reuters and Raw Story note that members of the administration declined direct confirmation at press events, creating a gap between media reporting of the dossier and official on-the-record statements ^{[6] [1]}. Available sources do not mention any definitive public statement from USCIS explicitly confirming the April 23, 2025 date beyond the dossiers and reporting cited above ^{[1] [2]}.

5. Context: Operation Allies Welcome and prior immigration status

All outlets place Lakanwal’s arrival in the broader Operation Allies Welcome evacuation of Afghans who assisted U.S. forces in 2021; his initial entry in September 2021 is repeatedly reported, and more than 70,000 Afghans were resettled under that effort, according to Reuters reporting ^[2]. Several accounts note his initial entry was via humanitarian parole under that program and that he later applied for asylum when his initial status lapsed or when he sought permanent status ^{[3] [7]}.

6. Human and systemic context reporters emphasize

Caseworker accounts and local reporting highlight that Lakanwal experienced isolation, language barriers and mental-health struggles after arrival; a CBS report quoted a caseworker saying he “passed his reviews” and was granted asylum in April 2025, while that same caseworker told CBS they do not believe DHS or USCIS saw certain emails warning of his worsening condition ^[4]. NPR and CBS note activists and service providers view this incident as an isolated case amid broader concerns about limited post-arrival services ^{[8] [4]}.

7. Political aftermath and policy actions tied to the timing

The reporting links the April 2025 approval to immediate policy reactions: after the shooting, the Trump administration announced pauses and broad reviews of asylum and refugee approvals, and officials publicly tied the case to a wider re-examination of Biden-era admissions ^{[1] [9]}. Multiple outlets state the administration halted new asylum decisions and paused certain visa issuances in response ^{[9] [10]}.

8. What remains uncertain or unreported

Available sources do not mention a public, primary-source USCIS press release or adjudication record that independently confirms the specific April 23, 2025 approval date beyond the federal dossier cited by Reuters and repeated by other media ^{[2] [1]}. They also do not provide a publicly available timeline of the internal vetting steps or any formal red-team review that preceded the alleged decision; those internal details are not found in current reporting ^{[4] [1]}.

Conclusion — what the sources collectively show and what they do not: multiple reputable outlets relying on a federal dossier and law-enforcement sources report that Lakanwal applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved in April 2025 (Reuters gives April 23), and caseworker accounts say he underwent and “passed” USCIS reviews ^{[2] [1] [4]}. However, public, primary-source confirmation from USCIS beyond those dossier-based reports is not present in the cited coverage, and officials’ reticence at press briefings left some timing and procedural questions publicly contested ^{[6] [1]}.