Afghan Evacuee Vetting Act

Full Title:
A bill to require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to identify and conduct recurrent vetting of evacuees from Afghanistan found not to be properly vetted before entering the United States.

Summary#

This bill directs the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to find and repeatedly vet Afghan evacuees who were paroled into the United States as part of Operation Allies Refuge or Operation Allies Welcome between July 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022, and who remain in the United States. The bill cites a DHS Office of Inspector General report that found CBP sometimes lacked complete or accurate identity data, admitted evacuees who were not fully vetted, and had no contingency plan or standardized policies for such an emergency.

Within 30 days of the bill becoming law, CBP must:

  • identify all evacuees from that period who remain in the United States;
  • conduct full screening and vetting for each evacuee using confirmed identity information and consulting law enforcement and international terrorist screening databases;
  • prioritize those who arrived without identity documents;
  • set up recurrent and periodic vetting, including in-person interviews when needed;
  • continue vetting for the length of the evacuee's authorized parole; and
  • provide evidence that these vetting steps were completed to the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the state and local law enforcement where each evacuee lives.

Within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the DHS Inspector General must report to the relevant congressional homeland security committees on the vetting results and the number of evacuees found ineligible for admission, with specific reasons.

What it means for you#

  • Afghan evacuees paroled in the stated period who still live in the United States may be identified, re-screened, and periodically re-vetted, possibly including in-person interviews.
  • Federal agencies listed in the bill will receive documentation that CBP completed the required vetting.
  • Congress will get a report with results and any cases of evacuees found ineligible.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

The bill’s findings cite a DHS Office of Inspector General audit that identified gaps in screening, vetting, and inspection during the Afghanistan evacuations. Proponents view the bill as a way to address those gaps by ensuring CBP identifies evacuees who may not have been fully vetted, performs full and repeated vetting, and reports results to federal and local authorities.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.