The recent arrest of Mohammad Dawood Alokozay highlights significant concerns surrounding the vetting process for Afghan nationals admitted to the United States through the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome program. Alokozay, an Afghan national who arrived in the U.S. on September 7, 2022, faces charges for attempting to build a bomb to target a building in Fort Worth, Texas. His arrest raises serious questions about both pre-entry and post-entry safeguards for immigrants from conflict zones.
In a video posted on TikTok, Alokozay showcased his bomb-making efforts, claiming he intended to carry out an attack in Fort Worth. The Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force found the threat credible enough to take immediate action. After his arrest, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin noted the troubling pattern, saying, “Just one day before the terrorist attack against our National Guard, another Afghan national…was arrested for threatening to blow up a building in Fort Worth.” This connection is particularly alarming given the timing and gravity of the threats made.
This arrest is not an isolated incident. Just a day later, another Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly opened fire near the White House, killing a U.S. Army specialist and critically injuring an Air Force staff sergeant. Investigations revealed that Lakanwal had previously worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, raising urgent questions about the vetting of individuals admitted under humanitarian programs. If such individuals had prior connections to U.S. operations, how did they end up in situations that led to violence on American soil?
The scrutiny of Operation Allies Welcome has intensified as it faces criticism for inadequate vetting procedures and missing documentation concerning Afghan evacuees. The DHS Inspector General reported incomplete records, raising alarms about tracking the status of these individuals. This inadequacy can result in missing critical data. “Name, date of birth, identification number, and travel document data… inaccurate, incomplete, or missing,” the report warned. Such gaps hinder the ability of authorities to monitor potential threats among those who were granted entry.
Alokozay’s entry through parole exemplifies the temporary authority that has allowed thousands of Afghans into the U.S. without undergoing thorough immigration processing. This decision has drawn bipartisan backlash in congressional hearings, yet the administration continues to assert it as a necessary humanitarian measure following the end of two decades of military involvement in Afghanistan. However, disconcerting events are challenging this narrative and prompting reevaluations of the approach taken by the administration.
Critics argue the system faltered both before and after these individuals arrived in the U.S. Investigators noted that it wasn’t until Alokozay posted evidence of his dangerous activities that authorities acted. McLaughlin emphasized, “He posted a video of himself on TikTok indicating he was building a bomb,” a glaring misstep that points to a lack of preventive mechanisms to identify risks before they escalate to threats.
Security experts warn that these cases reveal systemic failures rather than isolated incidents. John Ratcliffe, a former CIA Director, cautioned against granting resettlement without fully completing background checks. He remarked, “The intelligence pipeline from Afghanistan was compromised in late 2021,” suggesting that attempts to vet a large number of individuals from a destabilized region were fraught with complications. The challenges of swift and comprehensive evaluations exemplify the difficulties faced by agencies tasked with safeguarding national security.
Supporters of the Biden administration argue that only a small fraction of the evacuated individuals have been connected to criminal investigations. However, even one instance of terrorism raises pressing concerns about the effectiveness of the screening process. Alokozay’s case, alongside reports of sexual assaults at Fort Bliss and an ISIS-related plot in Oklahoma City, begins to suggest a troubling pattern that policymakers can no longer overlook.
In the wake of these events, there have been calls for a revision of parole admissions from countries with limited intelligence-sharing capabilities. Notably, former President Donald Trump has demanded a suspension of immigration from Afghanistan and similar zones, emphasizing the national security risks he believes have escalated. He stated, “The magnitude of the national security crisis Joe Biden unleashed on our country…cannot be overstated,” framing the current situation as a direct result of policy choices at the highest level.
Currently, Alokozay remains in custody while investigators evaluate the possibility of federal terrorism charges. Authorities have increased surveillance of Afghan immigrants who were resettled through Operation Allies Welcome, and ICE has issued a detainer on Alokozay, complicating his potential release. The Department of Homeland Security is conducting a review of its parole and post-entry monitoring systems, though it remains to be seen if these measures will adequately address the bipartisan unease surrounding these incidents.
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