Senator Chuck Grassley has provided an update on his oversight activities regarding Afghan evacuees who were paroled into the United States following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The evacuation, which took place over 16 days after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, resulted in tens of thousands of Afghan nationals and American citizens being airlifted out of Kabul.
Grassley stated, “Following the disastrous withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, 13 American families will mourn forever the loss of their loved one when a suicide bomber attacked the airport in Kabul on Aug. 26, 2021, killing 13 U.S. service members, including a 23-year-old Marine who grew up in Red Oak, Iowa.” He added that the emergency evacuation was chaotic and compared it to the fall of Saigon in 1975.
He noted that Operation Allies Welcome was launched by the Biden administration to relocate Afghans who had worked with U.S. forces or faced threats from the Taliban and were eligible for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV). The Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 expanded this program to include more categories of Afghan citizens employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government.
Grassley explained his role as part of congressional oversight: “As part of my congressional oversight responsibilities, I work to ensure the executive branch faithfully executes the laws, as Congress intended.” He said his oversight revealed shortcomings in how Afghan nationals were screened before resettlement: “My oversight exposed a glaring problem with the Biden administration’s implementation of this program; it dropped the ball on proper precautions to rigorously screen every Afghan national cleared to resettle into the United States.”
He emphasized security concerns: “The #1 job of the federal government is protecting the American people. That includes ensuring Afghan evacuees welcomed into the United States do not pose a national security risk.” Grassley said he has questioned agencies such as DHS, DOJ, and FBI about vetting procedures and removal processes for those found inadmissible.
Reflecting on lessons learned from overseeing Operation Allies Welcome, Grassley stated: “From rooting out wasteful spending or holding federal agencies accountable, I’ve learned that oversight matters.” He mentioned raising concerns at Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and cited data provided by intelligence officials indicating that as of August 2022, about 1.6%—over 1,600 individuals—of more than 100,000 Afghan evacuees had links to terrorism or derogatory information.
Grassley criticized both current and previous administrations’ handling of vetting procedures but expressed approval for recent efforts: “I’m glad the Trump administration is responding to my oversight requests and for its efforts to fix the failures of the Biden administration’s resettlement of Afghan evacuees.”
He referenced recent incidents involving Afghan evacuees accused or arrested for violent acts within the United States as examples underscoring his concerns about inadequate screening processes.
Grassley concluded by stating his commitment to continued oversight: “My oversight will continue.”
