In November 2021, while the Biden administration was rapidly bringing thousands of Afghan refugees to the U.S. each week, then-Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas surprised Congress by admitting that “not all” Afghan newcomers underwent “in-person refugee interviews.”
Rahmanullah Rakanwal, a 29-year-old from Afghanistan, allegedly opened fire on soldiers while shouting “Allah Akbar,” resulting in serious injuries to two soldiers, according to law enforcement officials on Wednesday.
Rakanwal came to the U.S. in 2021 under Biden’s “Operation Welcoming Allies,” which was managed by Mayorkas and successfully resettled tens of thousands of Afghans in America.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in November 2021, Mayorkas stated that not every Afghan brought to the U.S. post military withdrawal had been thoroughly vetted.
“We do not conduct 100% in-person refugee interviews with individuals,” he remarked.
Additionally, in October 2021, amid chaotic withdrawals from Afghanistan, a U.S. diplomat’s email revealed that President Biden had ordered a fast-track process for transferring Afghan nationals to the United States without adhering to normal vetting protocols.
The email outlined:
team,
President Biden communicated with Ambassador Wilson, providing instructions about who should board evacuation flights.
“1. Anyone with valid identification falling under the evacuation category for U.S. citizens should be allowed to board the plane. This includes legal permanent residents and their next of kin, local embassy staff, and at-risk Afghans.
2. Family members, especially women and children, should also be allowed to board.
3. The total number of arrivals to the U.S. must exceed the available seating. An overabundance is an error.”
This guidance gave clear priorities for filling seats, especially favoring women and children. I anticipate more C17 flights soon.
In September 2021, prior to a Senate hearing, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that it was unlikely that many Afghan nationals had been screened before boarding flights to the U.S.
“What percentage of Afghans were actually tested before boarding?” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) asked Blinken.
“Before they left Kabul? Certainly not. Most of them did not,” Blinken conceded.
