Justice Department Watchdog Confirms Grassley Oversight: Biden-Harris Gave Suspected Terrorists Protected Status through Afghan Evacuee Program

WASHINGTON– The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Inspector General (OIG) today issued a report confirming Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa)longstanding concernthat the Biden-Harris administration failed to properly vet all Afghan evacuees after theU.S.’s botched withdrawalfrom the region.
According to the DOJ OIG report, 55 Afghan evacuees with hits on the terrorist screening database were encountered by U.S. officials. Of those, atleast 21were added to the database after entry into the United States and an additional two evacuees were already on the database prior to entry into the country.As of July 2024, eight evacuees in the United States remained on the terrorist watchlist with four of them subject to active FBI investigation. Notably, last year, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, an Afghan evacuee, was arrested for planning anElection Day terrorist attackon behalf of ISIS.
“I’ve sounded the alarm about the need to thoroughly vet Afghan evacuee applicants since August 2021. The Biden-Harris administration, my Democrat colleagues in Congress and many in the media were quick to dismiss glaring red flags that a nonpartisan national security analysis now confirms,”Grassley said. “As if it wasn’t already obvious, the Biden-Harris administration endangered American lives by allowing suspected terrorists to enter the United States and roam free for years. My oversight of this matter will continue.”
Read the full DOJ OIG reportHERE.
Background:
While the previous administrationleft key allies stranded,refusedto thoroughly vet evacuees andignoredcongressional inquiries, Grassley spearheaded dogged congressionaloversight. Further, Grassley took steps toprotect Afghan alliesandhold the administration accountablefor an Afghan evacuee charged with the Election Day terror plot.
Aftercalling outthen-FBI Director Christopher Wray’s failed leadership – including the Bureau’s inability to vet Afghan evacuees – GrassleyurgedFBI Director Kash Patel to release updated data on national security concerns posed by some Afghan evacuees.
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