Claims of Inadequate Vetting of Afghan Evacuees Resurface Following National Guard Shooting
Washington DC - claims that the Biden administration failed to adequately vet Afghan evacuees entering the US under “Operation Allies Welcome” are gaining traction following the shooting of two National guard soldiers by an Afghan suspect. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated on ABC News Sunday that the administration did not properly vet those who arrived after the 2021 Taliban takeover. Similar accusations have been leveled by former President Donald Trump and other officials.
Operation Allies Welcome was launched to facilitate the evacuation and resettlement of Afghan nationals who assisted the US military. While critics allege insufficient vetting, the program, as detailed on an archived government website, included a process of “reviewing fingerprints, photos, and other biometric and biographic data for every single Afghan before they are cleared to travel to the United States.” Jennie Murray, of the National Immigration Forum, confirmed to BBC Verify that evacuees underwent extensive security and medical screening while being held on military bases for weeks, or even months, prior to entering the US.
However, two audits conducted between 2022 and 2024 revealed shortcomings in the vetting process. One audit found the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) possessed “inaccurate, incomplete, or missing” data on some evacuees, partially attributed to a lack of identification documents for certain individuals.
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