WASHINGTON (TNND) — Following the recent tragic shooting of two National Guardsmen by an Afghan refugee, questions about the U.S. government’s vetting and resettlement process for Afghan evacuees have resurfaced. Much of the scrutiny centers on Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), which was later folded into the broader Enduring Welcome initiative, the Biden administration’s emergency effort to evacuate and resettle Afghans after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.
What Was Operation Allies Welcome?
Operation Allies Welcome began in August 2021 as a whole-of-government effort to evacuate and resettle Afghans who worked alongside U.S. forces or faced threats from the Taliban, according to DHS.
According to the Biden White House, the operation brought together agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of State, Department of Health and Human Services, and FEMA to “move, screen, and resettle” Afghan evacuees after Kabul fell.
DHS reports that the U.S. ultimately supported more than 190,000 Afghans, making it one of the largest resettlement operations in half a century.
How Were Afghan Evacuees Vetted?
The Biden administration said Afghan evacuees went through multiple layers of screening before entering and after arriving in the United States. DHS outlined a three-tiered vetting system, with several agencies deployed overseas and at U.S. bases.
1. Overseas Screening: DHS deployed approximately 400 personnel from CBP, ICE, TSA, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service to bases in Bahrain, Germany, Kuwait, Italy, Qatar, Spain, and the UAE for biometric and identity screening.
This phase included:
2. Screening at U.S. Airports: At major ports of entry, including Dulles International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport, CBP officers conducted immigration interviews and re-verified biometric data before evacuees were transported to U.S. bases.
3. Screening on U.S. Military Bases: A State Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) review found that evacuees underwent an additional round of screening on U.S. bases before being released into local communities.
How Much Did Operation Allies Welcome Cost?
The evacuation and resettlement of Afghan allies was an enormous logistical undertaking, and it came with a multi-billion-dollar price tag. A 2021 congressional appropriations bill provided about $6.3 billion for Afghan resettlement efforts, including Operation Allies Welcome. This covered:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received an additional $193 million specifically for OAW processing and administrative functions, according to DHS.
One major resettlement site, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, spent over $626 million by early 2022 to support evacuees, according to Military Times.
Total Spending Estimate
A report from the Washington Times, citing the Office of Inspector General, estimated the government had spent more than $14 billion on evacuating and resettling Afghan evacuees since 2021, including both immediate evacuation and long-term support.
Have Other Afghan Refugees Committed Serious Crimes?
While the overwhelming majority of Afghan evacuees have resettled without incident, there are records of a small number of serious criminal cases involving Afghan individuals who entered through OAW or similar pathways.
These include:
One of the most significant cases involved an Afghan national who pleaded guilty to plotting an Election Day terrorist attack in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
However, these cases represent a tiny fraction of the more than 190,000 Afghans resettled nationwide.
