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Nov. 30, 2025, 8:35 AM ESTBy Dan De Luce and Rich SchapiroBefore Rahmanullah Lakanwal settled in a quiet part of Washington state, he was part of a secret unit of Afghans who operated under CIA direction and hunted down Taliban commanders in highly dangerous missions.They “took malignant actors off the battlefield and saved American lives, period,” said Andrew Sullivan, who served as an officer with the Army’s First Division in Afghanistan and is now executive director of No One Left Behind, a nonprofit that helps resettle Afghans who worked for the U.S. military during the war. These members of “Zero Units,” also known as National Strike Units, were among the most extensively vetted of any Afghans who worked with American forces. CIA officers hailed their bravery, skill and loyalty, and the agency prioritized their evacuation from Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul in 2021 because they were prime targets for the Taliban.But since arriving in the United States, thousands of these Afghan veterans have lived in a legal limbo without work permits, struggling to feed their families, according to refugee advocates. Their former CIA and military colleagues appealed to both the Biden and Trump administrations and to Congress to take action to resolve their legal status, warning that the lack of progress was driving some veterans into despair, the advocates said. Lakanwal, 29, is accused of driving across the country and shooting two National Guard members near the White House last week, killing Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounding Andrew Wolfe, 24. The suspect, who was shot and wounded during the attack, will face charges of first-degree murder and other offenses, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has said.Authorities have not provided a motive for the shooting, and a relative of Lakanwal’s has said the family cannot fathom why a man who fought alongside Americans in Afghanistan may have carried out such an attack. “I need your help to know why this happened,” the relative told NBC News last week, his voice cracking with emotion. In the wake of the shooting, President Donald Trump has called for a full review of all Afghans admitted to the country and a halt to processing any immigration requests from Afghans seeking to resettle in the United States. Some administration officials have claimed without evidence that the Biden administration failed to vet Lakanwal. But Lakanwal, as a member of the CIA-trained strike force, would have undergone extensive vetting before he joined the Zero Unit and also regular security checks during his tenure, former intelligence and military officials said. The Central Intelligence Agency oversaw the evacuation of Lakanwal and nearly 10,000 members of the force when the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. Like other refugees, Lakanwal would have been vetted again, multiple officials said, when he applied for asylum, which was granted in April — during the Trump administration.White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson on Saturday blamed Trump’s predecessor.“This animal would’ve never been here if not for Joe Biden’s dangerous policies which allowed countless unvetted criminals to invade our country and harm the American people,” Jackson said in an emailed response to a request for comment.Former intelligence officers and military veterans who work with refugees say even the most extensive vetting cannot guarantee that a person will never resort to violence.“Vetting can help mitigate threats, but it doesn’t eliminate threats,” said Geeta Bakshi, a former CIA officer who worked in Afghanistan and now runs FAMIL, a nonprofit that assists members of the Zero Units. “It’s hard to say what motivated this individual to act in such a violent and horrific way. You never know what’s going on in someone’s head, or why their mindset shifts.”She added: “I understand the FBI is leading a very thorough investigation to get to these answers — we look forward to supporting them in their efforts.”Appeals for helpThe veterans of the Zero Units took part in intense combat. Many saw friends killed on the battlefield and some suffered grievous wounds. Like their American counterparts in special operations forces, they continue to grapple with the effects of their war-time trauma. Their legal difficulties in the U.S. have only aggravated their mental health challenges, according to former intelligence officers and military veterans.“If you bring people here and you don’t let them feel like there is any hope, you’re leaving them in a very troubling situation,” said a spokesperson for the nonprofit 1208 Foundation, which provides assistance to Afghans who worked with U.S. Special Forces. “Americans are looking at these people like they’re pariahs now but in reality they potentially offer a major advantage to the U.S. if we use them correctly,” he said, referring to how valuable the Zero Force veterans could be in security jobs.Lakanwal, who grew up in Khost province, was living in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and five children, the relative said.This past summer, he worked for Amazon Flex, a service run by Amazon where people use their own vehicles to make deliveries as contract workers. But he had not been active recently, an Amazon spokesperson said. Two years ago, a former Afghan commander with the Zero Units, Mohammad Shah, wrote a letter warning lawmakers that his former troops are in “urgent crisis” and that Congress needed to act to resolve their legal status.“Without your help, we are trapped,” Shah wrote.“Recently, there have been cases of suicide within our community driven by the overwhelming sentiment of helplessness we feel as our requests for immigration assistance go ignored by the U.S. Government,” Shah added.During the war, multiple human rights organizations alleged the Zero Units troops committed abuses and possible war crimes, including extrajudicial executions, partly due to flawed intelligence. A Human Rights Watch report alleged 14 incidents of serious abuses from 2017 to 2019.Former members of the strike force and former CIA officers who worked with them reject the allegations. They say that the Zero Units were trained in the laws of armed conflict and that each operation was carefully reviewed in advance.Earlier this month, members of the strike force were honored at an event in Washington organized by the FAMIL group that featured speeches by Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, along with former CIA and military officers. “The Zero Units were the cream of the crop. They were the top of the top 1%,” Mullin said in a video posted by FAMIL.Proposed bipartisan legislation, the Afghan Adjustment Act, would have put an end to the legal uncertainty for the Zero Units veterans and all other Afghans who worked for the U.S. government during the war. The bill, which was endorsed by military veterans in Congress, also called for additional security vetting for Afghan refugees seeking permanent legal status. But despite several attempts over the past four years, Congress never adopted the proposal. Apart from the Zero Units members, tens of thousands of Afghans who worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan still face legal uncertainty. Many have applied for asylum while they wait for their applications for special immigrant visas to be processed. As of July, about 3,000 members of the Zero Units still had no work permits and no certainty about their legal status, according to advocates who work with the veterans. Returning to Afghanistan is not an option for them, advocates say, because of the threat of being hunted down by the Taliban for working with Americans. During his first term, Trump agreed to a deal that called for the departure of all American troops from Afghanistan, and Biden decided to carry out the accord after delaying the exit day by several months. Since then, Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor for the way the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was handled. This July, Trump suggested that some Afghans deserved to be granted legal status in the United States. “We know the good ones, and we know the ones that maybe aren’t so good,” Trump said after he was asked a question about Afghan refugees. “We’re going to take care of those people, the ones that did a job [for us], the ones that were told certain things.”Dan De LuceDan De Luce is a reporter for the NBC News Investigative Unit. Rich Schapiro Rich Schapiro is a reporter with the NBC News national security unit.

- Latest News - November 30, 2025

Rahmanullah Lakanwal was a member of a “Zero Unit,” an elite squad of Afghans who have faced hardships in the U.S. due to visa and employment issues.

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Nov. 30, 2025, 8:17 AM ESTBy Freddie ClaytonIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted a request for a formal pardon amid a yearslong corruption trial, just weeks after President Donald Trump said he should be pardoned.“Today my lawyers submitted a request for clemency to the President of the State,” Netanyahu said in a video address posted on X Sunday. “The continuation of the trial is tearing us apart from within, provoking fierce divisions, intensifying divisions,” he said. “My personal interest was and remains to continue the process until the end, until I am fully acquitted of all charges, but the security and political realities, the national interest, require otherwise.”Netanyahu is facing charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. Prosecutors have alleged that he exchanged regulatory favors with media owners in Israel seeking positive press coverage.He has also been accused of accepting gifts — including cigars and champagne — in exchange for advancing the personal interests of Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. Prosecutors say these were worth hundreds of thousands of shekels.Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and the first sitting Israeli leader to have taken the stand as a criminal defendant, has consistently denied the allegations, branding them a “witch hunt.” A verdict in the ongoing five-year trial isn’t expected until 2026 at the earliest, while Netanyahu will also have the option to appeal to the Supreme Court.An Israeli anti-government protester dressed up as US President Donald Trump holds a doll depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Nov. 15Jack Guez / AFP – Getty ImagesUnder Israel’s Basic Law, the country’s president has the power to pardon criminals or reduce their sentence.A spokesperson for Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Netanyahu’s request for a pardon was “extraordinary,” carrying with it “significant implications.”In accordance with “guidelines and procedures,” Netanyahu’s request is “currently being transferred to the Pardons Department in the Ministry of Justice which will gather the opinions of all the relevant authorities,” read the statement, without indicating when a decision might be reached.In his video message, Netanyahu also cited Trump’s recent appeal for the trial to be cancelled, saying it would allow the two leaders to “promote more vigorously the vital interests shared by Israel and the United States in a window of time that is unlikely to return.”Trump penned a letter to Herzog two weeks ago asking the president to grant Netanyahu a full pardon.At the time, Herzog’s office had said that “anyone seeking a pardon must submit a request in accordance with the established procedures.”Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir both immediately backed the proposed pardon, with Katz citing the “complex security reality” in Israel.Netanyahu has previously cited the war in Gaza and security concerns while seeking delays in the court proceedings.Benny Gantz, a political rival of Netanyahu, said that the pardon request was “fake” and urged him: “Instead of fanning the flames, extinguish the fire you created within Israeli society.”The International Criminal Court last year issued a separate warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest over alleged war crimes committed in Gaza.Both Israel and the U.S. do not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC. The warrant theoretically puts Netanyahu at risk of arrest if he steps foot in an ICC member country, though the body has no police force and is reliant on international cooperation.Israel responded furiously to the warrants, with Netanyahu’s office branding the decision “antisemitic,” rejecting the charges as “absurd and false.”Freddie ClaytonFreddie Clayton is a freelance journalist based in London. Yarden Segev contributed.

- Latest News - November 30, 2025

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted a request for a formal pardon amid a yearslong corruption trial, just weeks after President Donald Trump said he should be pardoned.“Today my.

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Nov. 29, 2025, 6:30 AM ESTBy Andrew GreifThe game’s outcome had effectively been determined when star Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels trotted out for another possession with 12 minutes remaining on Nov. 2.Down 31 points to Seattle, Washington chose to keep Daniels, last season’s NFL offensive rookie of the year and the franchise’s cornerstone, in the game rather than sit him to avoid the risk of injury. Ten plays later, Daniels fell awkwardly on the elbow of his left, nonthrowing arm, dislocating it.The drumbeat began as soon as Daniels started writhing on the turf. Sure, he was healthy. But why was he still in the game?Less than a month later, the Commanders’ season now appears to be a lost cause. With their 3-8 record and less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs, according to one analysis, there’s a new question in Washington. Though Daniels could be healthy enough to return by early December, does that mean the team should let him take the field and again risk injury?“You’re just got to try to do what’s best for the player,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said this week. “We know what we’re looking to do and how we want to do it, but by no means are we careless about that. It’s important not just for Jayden, but important for our entire team.”What is best, in Quinn’s view, is that Daniels continues to play, to benefit his long-term improvement. As Quinn said on Wednesday: “We would not put him out there if he’s not able to fully express who he is as a player.”Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders leaves the field after injuring his left arm.Greg Fiume / Getty ImagesDaniels is one of the NFL’s most exciting young players, but not all Washington fans want to see him play again in these circumstances.“We know what Jayden can do. We saw it last year and we’ve even seen it in games this year against the Chargers. He looked fantastic,” said Mark Manjardi, a lifelong fan of the franchise who was so dedicated he flew to Spain to watch the team face Miami in November, in a game Daniels missed.“I just think the the worst-case scenario far, far, far outweighs the best-case scenario, which is, ‘Oh, he looks like his old self again,’ and we still have no chance of doing anything this year anyway. … Even if Jayden wants to play, which she obviously does, think long term. Think next year. This is a lost season. It sucks but it is what it is.”The Commanders aren’t the only team who could, theoretically, place their franchise star in proverbial bubble wrap and tank the rest of the season with the aim of earning a better draft pick.The practice is common late in NBA seasons by teams already far from playoff consideration. Though NBA teams do not explicitly say so, team executives, agents and players have long shared their belief that shelving a promising player for the remainder of a season often has more to do with improving a team’s odds of landing a high draft pick than it does with the severity of an injury.NFL teams this season, however, seem to be deferring to players. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury in Week 2 and missed the next nine weeks as his team cratered to a 3-8 record, with commentators making their case for why neither the Bengals, nor Burrow, were best-served by continuing to play him. Yet Burrow said returning on Thanksgiving would be meaningful to him.“He’s a football player. He wants to play football,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said earlier this week. “We want to win football games. That will lead into that decision.”It’s safe to say the Bengals were glad they made the decision to start Burrow, who threw two touchdowns in Thursday’s 32-14 win against Baltimore.Angst around the risk of Daniels hurting himself again has grown because his elbow dislocation was his third injury this season, after he previously missed three games for a sprained knee and tweaked hamstring.Matthew Berry, a fantasy football expert for NBC Sports, posted on X, “begging my beloved Commanders. This is not our year. We should not risk further injury to our franchise QB in a lost year. He shouldn’t have been playing at the end of a blow-out loss and he shouldn’t play again this season. We are 3-8.”Daniels isn’t wired that way, said Herm Edwards, the former NFL coach who also briefly coached Daniels in college at Arizona State.“You’re going to have to tie him down for him not to play,” Edwards told a D.C. radio show recently. “You want a guy like that. If he would sit there and say, ‘Well, I’m done. We’re 3-8 now’ — that ain’t who he is.”But, Edwards was pressed by a radio host: Should Daniels play when the playoff upside is so remote?“The season is now, and he got to play now. Are you kidding me?” Edwards said. “That’s what they do. Football players play football. They don’t do anything else. That’s their job. He’s not going to say, ‘Hey man, you know’ — he don’t care. He wants to play, he wants to compete.”Daniels confirmed that sentiment when telling reporters Tuesday, “If I’m healthy and ready to go, I want to be out there.”Washington ranks in the league’s bottom half in sacks allowed. Its next two opponents, meanwhile — Denver and Minnesota — are known for harassing defenses to a degree that borders on maniacal. Denver, which faces Washington on Sunday, has 49 sacks, seven more than the league’s second-place team. The Vikings, who await on Dec. 7, blitz more often than anyone.Still, Daniels could soon be suiting up again anyway. If, or when, that happens, some fans will be watching through their fingers.More from SportsTime running out on Chiefs, Lions and Ravens after they stumble on ThanksgivingCollege football’s most wanted coach might ditch his team before it can play for a national titleOne NBA team ditched basketball’s most popular play and is now scoring more than everWhat else we’re watching for in Week 1349ers (8-4) at Browns (3-8): Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett is threatening to break the NFL’s single-season sack record of 22.5, with 18 sacks in just 11 games. Those 18 sacks are more than Carolina, San Francisco and Cincinnati have recorded as teams this season.Jaguars (7-4) at Titans (1-10): Tennessee’s home losing streak currently sits at 10 games. Jacksonville is 5-1 against the Titans since 2022. If the No. 1 pick and Titans quarterback throws for multiple touchdowns Sunday, it would be the first instance of his career.Texans (6-5) at Colts (8-3): The league’s No. 1 scoring offense (Colts, 31.0 points per game) faces the No. 2 scoring defense (Texans, 16.6 points per game). The Colts are 6-0 at home.Saints (2-9) at Dolphins (4-7): Tua Tagovailoa’s 13 interceptions are one away from tying his career high. Miami’s last two opponents have been held to 13 points each.Falcons (4-7) at Jets (2-9): New York is the first team in NFL history with one or fewer turnovers through 11 games in a season since turnovers were first tracked in 1933. Kirk Cousins is 8-8 as a Falcons starter since last season.Cardinals (3-8) at Buccaneers (6-5): Tampa’s final six games are against teams that do not currently have a winning record. Cardinals tight end Trey McBride’s 301 career receptions are tied with Jimmy Graham for the most by a tight in their first four seasons in NFL history, per NBC Sports research.Rams (9-2) at Panthers (6-6): The Rams own the best outright record in the NFC. Carolina has been outscored by 53 points in the aggregate, which is the worst mark by a .500-or-better team through 12 games since the 2019 Raiders, per NBC Sports research.Vikings (4-7) at Seahawks (8-3): Seattle wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a league-leading 1,313 receiving yards, which is only 290 yards fewer than the entire Jets roster. Minnesota’s three-game losing streak is one shy of its longest under coach Kevin O’Connell.Bills (7-4) at Steelers (6-5): Josh Allen is 4-1 in his career against the Steelers. Buffalo, however, has failed to score 20 or more points in all three of its road losses.Raiders (2-9) at Chargers (7-4): Raiders coach Pete Carroll has never lost six straight games in his career, but his current team is riding a five-game losing streak.Broncos (9-2) at Commanders (3-8): Denver QB Bo Nix has five game-winning drives this season, tied with Chicago’s Caleb Williams for most in the league. Denver has won eight straight games while Washington has lost six consecutive.Giants (2-10) at Patriots (10-2) Monday: When the Giants lost last week in Detroit, it was their fifth time this season blowing a double-digit lead on the road, the most in a single season in NFL history.Andrew GreifAndrew Greif is a sports reporter for NBC News Digital. 

- Latest News - November 30, 2025

With playoff hopes slipping away for the Commanders and Bengals, questions are raised about why their oft-injured star quarterbacks could still see the field.

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Nov. 30, 2025, 5:00 AM ESTBy Nicole AcevedoThe shriek of whistles and a cacophony of cars honking have taken on new meaning on the streets of major U.S. cities in recent months — a warning to all those in earshot that immigration enforcement is nearby. The warning tactics from activists have become popular in cities recently targeted by Border Patrol immigration operations. In Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina, residents protested immigration enforcement actions and began coordinating street patrols, organizing neighborhood watch groups and recording videos of both immigration officers apprehending people and agents carrying out operations largely while masked and in unmarked vehicles. Community activists have denounced what they say are increasingly aggressive tactics by immigration agents as residents patrol and document immigration enforcement activity. Meanwhile, federal authorities have said community members’ actions have gotten in the way of immigration agents doing their job. Officers “will take legal and necessary steps to ensure their own safety and that of bystanders,” Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. Heather Morrow, a protester in Charlotte, North Carolina, faces misdemeanor charges after prosecutors allege she blocked the entrance to a Department of Homeland Security facility’s parking lot; she was initially charged with felony assault of a federal officer, but it was dropped a week later at the request of the federal government. Joshua Long, another Charlotte resident who told NBC News he’d been verifying and documenting community reports of U.S. Border Patrol’s presence across the city as part of a local watch group, was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting a federal officer, an allegation he denies. Amid the arrests, as well as flaring tensions and clashes between communities and immigration agents, concerned residents who are afraid the Border Patrol might target their hometowns next are looking to grassroots efforts already adopted in other cities. Many are looking to create their own versions of rapid response teams that can safely monitor immigration enforcement in their communities. “Deportation raids are not new, but what we see in terms of scale and severity is very new, and it requires a whole new response from us regular people, as citizens, as neighbors,” Jill Garvey, a co-director of the pro-democracy group States at the Core, said during the first nationwide virtual “ICE WATCH” training session hosted with the help of community organizers from Chicago on Nov. 21. More than 500 people attended the online training session from dozens of cities, including New York; Memphis, Tennessee; Oakland, California; and New Orleans — where some expect immigration operations to begin in December. Different people expressed fear, heartbreak, anxiety and outrage over the current state of immigration enforcement and asked for tips, including how to adjust ICE Watch strategies to fit the needs of rural communities and how to monitor enforcement efforts around sensitive locations such as churches, schools or workplaces. The trainers told those attending that paying attention to details such as the number of agents at a specific location, what uniforms they’re wearing and the scope of their activity are key to effectively documenting immigration enforcement in their communities, understanding the tactics and identifying potential civil rights violations. The trainees were told to not touch or physically interact with agents and to keep a safe distance while documenting any immigration enforcement activity. McLaughlin told NBC News that “being near unlawful activities in the field does come with risks — though our officers take every reasonable precaution to mitigate dangers to those exercising their protected First Amendment rights. However, when faced with violence or attempts to impede law enforcement operations, our officers will take legal and necessary steps to ensure their own safety and that of bystanders, up to and including use of force.” She added that immigration authorities “clearly identify themselves as law enforcement while wearing masks to protect themselves from being targeted by highly sophisticated gangs” and other criminals at a time when assaults against agents have increased. Community efforts to monitor Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations started to solidify in June when the Border Patrol first began sustained immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles and intensified in Chicago during a three-month immigration enforcement operation dubbed Operation Midway Blitz. The Border Patrol defended its use of tear gas and rubber bullets, which residents and local officials denounced.When asked if people who record immigration authorities or participate in neighborhood watch group should be worried about being targeted or arrested for engaging in these activities, McLaughlin stated, “This sure looks like obstruction of justice.” “When individuals broadcast the location of ICE, they are putting a target on the backs of officers,” she stated, “anyone who impedes, obstructs, or assaults law enforcement will be arrested and prosecuted.” Xavier T. de Janon, a criminal attorney in North Carolina who represents Morrow and Long, said several of his clients who participated in neighborhood watch efforts to keep tabs on Border Patrol as it conducted Operation Charlotte’s Web in the city of Charlotte are facing charges. Long, one of de Janon’s clients, said he was following a Border Patrol vehicle to verify community reports his neighborhood watch group received about its presence in Charlotte. At one point, Long said, he was trying to move his car out of the way in a dead-end street to allow agents’ SUVs to leave. Instead, the agents used their vehicles to try to box him in, he said. In an attempt “to pull myself out of a dangerous situation,” Long said, he drove forward, going up on a curb and around one of the SUVs trying to block him. The Border Patrol claimed Long skimmed the front of its vehicle, though “my car has no scratches on it,” he said. As the Border Patrol followed him, Long said, he dialed 911 and told dispatchers that agents were driving aggressively toward him. He said he kept driving and stopped the minute one of the SUVs began flashing its red and blue lights, fearing matters could worsen. Long said a Border Patrol agent opened his car door while he was pointing a gun, pulled him out, put him against the ground and handcuffed him. Long, who said he was compliant and did not resist, was placed in the back of an SUV and taken to an FBI office, where he was questioned. About six hours later, he was released with a federal citation for “simple assault on a federal officer,” a misdemeanor charge. Long’s court hearing is scheduled for May. “This was a CBP violent and unnecessary arrest for someone documenting,” de Janon said. Asked about Long’s arrest, McLaughlin stated, “While conducting an immigration enforcement operation near the intersection of Central Ave and Eastway Dr, Border Patrol arrested this US citizen for vehicular assault against a federal agent.” De Janon said that when federal agents sign up for enforcement roles, they accept the legal reality that they can be documented and that the public can access the information. “Unfortunately, we are living under a federal government that disagrees with this,” he said. “So there might be more risks in people just doing what they’re allowed to do and legally protected to do.” At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security also said there have been 238 reports of assaults against ICE agents this year, compared with 19 reports last year — signaling nationwide tension around immigration enforcement tactics. In the session, trainers emphasized the importance of conducting ICE Watch and street patrols in groups. “We’re safer when we stick together,” said Garvey, of States at the Core. She emphasized that neighborhood watch groups are for documenting immigration enforcement happening in communities and not about interference. “It is a nonviolent tactic,” she said. Nicole AcevedoNicole Acevedo is a news reporter for NBC News.

- Latest News - November 30, 2025

Concerned residents are creating their own versions of rapid respond teams to safely monitor immigration enforcement in their communities.

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