ICE Detains Several Afghan Nationals From 2021 Evacuations; DHS Cites Vetting Failures

04:40 PM, 12/05/2025

ICE and DHS report arrests of multiple Afghan nationals who arrived in the U.S. during the 2021 evacuation operations, citing charges that include kidnapping, sexual offenses and a serious hit-and-run. DHS criticized the vetting processes used during the mass evacuations and said agencies are working to identify and remove those they deem public-safety risks. The announcement followed concerns that an Afghan national allegedly involved in a Nov. 26 Washington, D.C., ambush had been previously vetted; the State Department has paused visas for Afghan passport holders pending review.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced this week that multiple Afghan nationals admitted to the United States during the 2021 evacuation operations have been arrested on serious criminal charges, including kidnapping, sexual offenses and a hit-and-run causing serious bodily harm.

Context: DHS said the mass evacuations in 2021 — carried out under Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome — created significant screening challenges. The department described the situation as among the most complex national security challenges in recent U.S. history and said current efforts focus on identifying and removing individuals who pose public-safety or national-security risks.

In a statement quoted by DHS, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized the vetting used during the evacuations, saying officials did not perform comprehensive background checks or social-media vetting for large numbers of evacuees and that ICE is working to remove people it considers public-safety threats.

The announcement followed reporting that the suspect in the Nov. 26 Washington, D.C., ambush — who allegedly killed one National Guard member and wounded another — was an Afghan national previously vetted by the CIA while in Afghanistan. In response to those events, the State Department temporarily paused visa processing for travelers using Afghan passports.

Recent Arrests Identified by ICE

Qesmat Din Zafran — Arrested Aug. 29. Entered the U.S. under Operation Allies Refuge (Sept. 2021). Convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor under 16.
Mansour Walizada — Arrested Oct. 2. Entered under Operation Allies Refuge (2021). Convictions include two counts of sexual battery and an arrest for child fondling.
Mohammad Tabesh Rasoli — Arrested June 8. Entered under Operation Allies Refuge (Sept. 2021). Convicted of hit-and-run causing serious bodily harm; arrest report states he struck a pedestrian at about 50 mph.
Javid Ghamgeen — Taken into ICE custody May 8 from the Iowa Department of Corrections. Entered under Operation Allies Welcome (2021). Convictions include two counts of methamphetamine possession, burglary and aggravated assault on a public officer.
Asirullah Khalid-Khan — Arrested Oct. 9. Entered under Operation Allies Welcome (2021). Convicted of kidnapping and previously arrested on a rape allegation.
Said Mohammad Tanai — Arrested July 21. Entered under Operation Allies Refuge (2021). Convicted of assault with intent to commit sex abuse.

ICE and DHS said these arrests are part of ongoing, targeted efforts to locate and remove individuals who may present threats to public safety or national security. The agencies point to the pace and scale of the 2021 evacuations as complicating factors for standard vetting procedures, and they say additional removals and investigations are underway.

Source: Statements and arrest reports released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security.