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Biden Administration’s Afghan Resettlement Program Faces Vetting Errors, DHS IG Report Finds
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Findings of the Inspector General Report
The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General released a report this week examining 678 asylum applications filed by Afghan nationals admitted through Operation Allies Welcome. Inspectors identified documentation or vetting errors in 40 % of the sampled cases, noting missing aliases, absent security checks, and other deficiencies that could allow ineligible individuals to obtain asylum. The report highlighted two applications where incomplete paperwork suggested possible inadmissibility on terrorism-related grounds.
Background & Context
Operation Allies Welcome was launched by the Biden administration in August 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The program has resettled more than 70,000 Afghan refugees, many of whom were first processed in temporary “lily-pad” hubs in third countries before being admitted to the United States.
Official Statements & Responses
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the findings show the Biden administration “dangerously mismanaged” the program and ignored established asylum procedures, thereby endangering national security.
- Former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the prior vetting approach, stating that the policy required 100 % of individuals to be vetted in transit countries before boarding U.S. evacuation flights.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)) accepted all five recommendations from the IG report, which call for improved alias documentation, proper recording of security checks, and stronger oversight of adjudication files.
Criticism & Opposition
- Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, called the 40 % error rate “alarming” and argued that the report likely understates the problem because inspectors could only see visible file deficiencies.
- Charles Marino, former DHS senior adviser, warned that the 40 % figure is probably a low estimate and suggested a larger sample would reveal a much higher rate of errors. He also criticized the administration’s use of “legal pathways” for Afghan migrants, citing concerns about inadequate vetting.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The fact that 40% of these applications have errors is alarming,” — Mark Krikorian, executive director of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies
- “This IG report just underlines how superficial and even frivolous the vetting that we were assured was going on was.” — Mark Krikorian, executive director of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies
- “As soon as that cargo bay door closed, we're stuck with those people,” — Mark Krikorian, executive director of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies