Immigration
House Homeland Security Committee Requests Information on DHS, FBI Failure to vet Afghan Terror Suspect
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green sent a letter on Thursday to the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI inquiring about the recent arrests of two Afghan nationals allegedly planning an Election Day terror attack. This follows a report from Just the News detailing the arrests and charges against the suspects.
Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, one of the individuals involved, was arrested by the FBI earlier this week and charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, according to the Department of Justice. The charges stem from Tawhedi’s alleged plan to execute an ISIS-inspired attack on Election Day.
According to Just the News, Tawhedi entered the United States on a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) during Operation Allies Refuge, a program that helped evacuate Afghans following the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. A senior U.S. official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that Tawhedi was granted special parole under this program. The unsealed criminal complaint verifies that he had indeed received an SIV upon entering the country on September 9, 2021.
Chairman Green, in his letter, expressed deep concern about the incident, writing: “The Committee is seeking information about the recently reported arrests of two Afghan nationals living in Oklahoma City, who allegedly plotted an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack for Election Day.”
The letter highlights the timeline of Tawhedi’s arrival in the U.S. and his background, noting that his entry came shortly after the Biden administration’s controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan. According to *NBC News*, Tawhedi previously worked as a security guard for the CIA in Afghanistan but appears to have been radicalized during his stay in the U.S.
Court documents released this week reveal that Tawhedi had attempted to acquire semiautomatic firearms and ammunition as part of his plot. He reportedly planned to resettle his family abroad before carrying out the attack. The charging documents also reference a co-conspirator, who remains unidentified as they are a minor.
“These recent arrests raise serious concerns about the ongoing threat that ISIS and its fanatical supporters pose to U.S. national security, as well as the shortfall in the Biden-Harris administration’s screening and vetting capabilities,” Chairman Green wrote.
Tawhedi’s arrest and the emerging details have reignited debates over the effectiveness of the U.S. government’s vetting process for refugees and immigrants, particularly those who were evacuated during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Immigration
Harris Supported a ‘Overhaul’ of U.S. Immigration and Customs, Supported ‘Moratorium’ on Detention Centers
On the 2024 campaign trail, Vice President Kamala Harris is faced with her past remarks, particularly those articulated during her 2019 presidential run. Harris’s progressive stances on immigration from the 2019 primary season are drawing renewed scrutiny.
A look at her 2019 responses to a questionnaire from the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund, uncovered by National Review, shows the extent to which Harris staked out left-of-center views on immigration. In her response, Harris supported a significant “overhaul” of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and called for a “moratorium on the construction and expansion of immigration detention centers.” Criticizing former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, she described ICE’s actions as “cruel and out of control,” pledging to review and reform the agency if elected president. Harris also highlighted her introduction of the DONE Act, which proposed added oversight for ICE and a moratorium on detention center expansion.
Harris’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the resurfaced questionnaire, which featured responses from other primary candidates, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Julián Castro, and Pete Buttigieg. Despite these progressive stances, Harris struggled to gain traction with the Democratic left, which ultimately endorsed Sanders after she exited the race, explains National Review.
Since joining the 2024 Democratic ticket, Harris has adopted a tougher tone on crime, often referencing her prosecutorial background in addressing concerns about transnational gang violence. She frequently cites her experience handling crime as a prosecutor to appeal to moderates. On the debate stage, she has emphasized her opponent’s—former President Donald Trump’s—role in derailing a bipartisan border-security agreement, pivoting criticism of her own policies toward the GOP’s reluctance to pass comprehensive reforms.
However, Harris’s past rhetoric on immigration continues to pose a challenge. In another questionnaire from 2019 for the American Civil Liberties Union, Harris voiced support for ending ICE detainers, reducing immigration detention by half, and providing taxpayer-funded gender-transition surgeries for detained illegal immigrants. This record, resurfaced by Republican spending groups, has fueled negative ad campaigns that often quote Harris’s prior statements to question her commitment to immigration enforcement. In one such ad, Harris is shown describing illegal immigrants as “not criminals” and suggesting a “start from scratch” approach on ICE.
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