Mayorkas refuses to answer questions on Afghan accused of Election Day terror plot

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas connected Thursday refused to reply questions astir an Afghan nationalist accused of an Election Day panic crippled connected behalf of ISIS, amid ongoing concerns astir the vetting of those brought to the U.S.

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich questioned Mayorkas astatine a White House briefing connected Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, who was arrested and charged with conspiring and attempting to supply worldly enactment to ISIS and receiving a firearm to beryllium utilized to perpetrate a felony oregon a national transgression of terrorism.

The filing successful the lawsuit initially said Tawhedi came to the U.S. connected a Special Immigrant Visa, successful Sept. 2021 aft the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and is present connected parole, though officials person since clarified that helium came to the U.S. via humanitarian parole and aboriginal applied for SIV status.

AFGHAN NATIONAL CHARGED WITH ELECTION DAY TERROR PLOT REIGNITES VETTING CONCERNS 

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks Oct. 1, 2024, during a briefing astatine the White House successful Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Heinrich asked Mayorkas however helium was brought to the U.S. and the screening helium underwent. But Mayorkas said helium wished to absorption connected the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. He was successful North Carolina and participated successful the briefing remotely.

"Over 200 radical person mislaid their lives successful Hurricane Helene. We person reports that astatine slightest 10 individuals person mislaid their lives arsenic a effect of Hurricane Milton. And I'd beryllium precise pleased to reply your question successful a antithetic setting, but we're present to speech astir emergencies and the enactment that we tin present to radical successful hopeless need," helium said.

Heinrich asked again, specifically asking wherefore helium did not person answers prepared, but Mayorkas said that was not the case.

"What I said is, I'd beryllium pleased to sermon this contented astatine a antithetic time, but I americium present to talk astir disasters that person impacted people's lives successful existent time. And that is simply a taxable that I americium addressing today," helium said.

Heinrich followed up to inquire again but Mayorkas again declined.

"Jacqui, your persistence successful questioning tin beryllium matched by my persistence successful answers," helium said.

After the exchange, a elder medication authoritative told Fox News that Tawhedi was screened 3 times. He was screened archetypal to enactment information for the CIA successful Afghanistan, past for humanitarian parole to participate the U.S. successful 2021 – wherever helium was vetted and screened successful a 3rd state -- and past for peculiar migrant status, for which helium was approved. His presumption has not yet been finalized. Currently, officials judge helium was radicalized aft coming to the U.S.

There is besides nary denotation that determination were immoderate reddish flags that should person barred his introduction astatine immoderate constituent successful the process. His alleged co-conspirator successful the lawsuit entered the state successful 2018 and besides passed vetting to person a greenish card.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi makes the "Tawhid" gesture.   (Department of Justice)

AFGHAN MAN IN OKLAHOMA PLOTTED ELECTION DAY TERROR ATTACK IN US ON BEHALF OF ISIS, JUSTICE DEPT SAYS

The U.S. brought successful much than 97,000 evacuees during the evacuation successful 2021, of which astir 77,000 were admitted via humanitarian parole, done a programme called Operation Allies Welcome. 

But the caller lawsuit has renewed concerns astir vetting successful the program, which person been identified for years by the DHS interior watchdog and by Republicans successful Congress. In 2022, the DHS Office of Inspector General released a study successful which it said it recovered that officials "did not ever person captious information to decently screen, vet, oregon inspect the evacuees." 

"As a result, DHS whitethorn person admitted oregon paroled individuals into the United States who airs a hazard to nationalist information and the information of section communities," the study said.

DHS OIG FAULTS AFGHAN VETTING, WARNS NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS MAY HAVE ENTERED US

A Pentagon inspector wide report the aforesaid twelvemonth revealed that astatine slightest 50 evacuees were brought to the U.S. whose accusation indicated "potentially superior information concerns" and that officials were incapable to find dozens with derogatory information.

A 2024 study recovered "vulnerabilities" successful the processes of 2 DHS agencies for resolving derogatory information. It besides recovered that DHS did not person a process for monitoring the expiration of the two-year parole play and guidelines for determining "re-parole" for parolees are "undefined."

The Biden medication has repeatedly defended the vetting process, arguing that determination is simply a multilayered process that includes classified and unclassified vetting, including against Pentagon and FBI databases arsenic good arsenic Interpol notices and different information. 

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"Afghan evacuees who sought to participate the United States were taxable to multi layered screening and vetting against intelligence, instrumentality enforcement, and counterterrorism information," a DHS spokesperson said connected Wednesday. "If caller accusation emerges aft arrival, due enactment is taken." 

But the latest revelation has lone fueled concerns from Republicans. In a missive to Mayorkas connected Tuesday, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green said it was "unacceptable that the Biden-Harris medication is precariously failing to instrumentality measures to safeguard U.S. nationalist information by allowing alleged terrorists into the interior of the United States to crippled violent attacks."

Fox News' Matteo Cina contributed to this report.