The Department of Homeland Security identified more than 5,000 Afghan migrants as potential national security risks after they entered the United States through President Joe Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome, according to internal documents obtained by the New York Post.
DHS reportedly uncovered “potential derogatory information” on 6,868 individuals who arrived following the 2021 U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Of those:
- 5,005 raised national security red flags
- 956 posed public safety concerns
- 876 were flagged for fraud
As of September, 885 individuals with unresolved national security issues were still inside the country, the documents show.
Grassley: Warnings Went Unheeded
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who has long questioned the vetting standards used during the evacuation, told the Post the disclosures confirm his earlier warnings.
“I spent years calling attention to the weak vetting standards in Operation Allies Welcome, despite considerable pushback from the Biden administration and many of my colleagues in Congress,” Grassley said. “Sadly, this past week’s tragedy in Washington only validates my concerns further.”
Revelations Come After Deadly DC Attack
The renewed scrutiny follows the deadly shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., last week. Authorities say 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal ambushed 20-year-old National Guardswoman Sarah Beckstrom, who died of her injuries, and 24-year-old Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, who remains in critical condition.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated Lakanwal had previously worked alongside the CIA in Afghanistan and “should never have been allowed to come here.”
The Justice Department’s Inspector General previously found that at least 55 individuals on a terror watch list reached U.S. ports of entry as of May 2023.
Trump Orders Sweeping Vetting Review
In response to the DHS disclosures and the DC attack, President Donald Trump has ordered a review of vetting protocols for migrants from 19 “high-risk” countries as well as all asylum cases approved under the Biden administration.
The revelations intensify the ongoing debate over the chaotic 2021 evacuation and the adequacy of security checks applied to thousands of Afghan nationals brought to the United States.
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Surprised?? WHY???? than the BIDEN/OBAMA and THE DEMOCRATS!!!!! Their disservice to the SAFETY and WELARE OF OUR COUNTRY/CITIZENS was NEVER THEIR PRIORITY THEIR OPEN BORDERS AGENDA!!!!