Just days after a shocking shooting in Washington DC, another alarming incident has emerged, leaving many questioning the safety and vetting processes of a key immigration program. But here’s where it gets even more unsettling: a second Afghan national, brought to the U.S. under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome, has been arrested for allegedly posting a TikTok video showing him constructing a bomb and naming a Texas city as his target. This comes on the heels of a separate tragedy involving another Afghan refugee, raising serious concerns about the program’s oversight. Let’s break it down.
Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, the individual in question, was taken into custody after authorities discovered the disturbing video. According to court records, he’s been charged with making a terroristic threat at the state level. Alokozay entered the U.S. on September 7, 2022, as a lawful permanent resident through Operation Allies Welcome—a resettlement initiative launched after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since issued a detainer, and Texas authorities collaborated with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force to apprehend him.
And this is the part most people miss: Alokozay’s arrest occurred just one day before another Afghan national, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was involved in a deadly shooting near the White House. Lakanwal, who also entered the U.S. under the same program, allegedly shot two National Guard soldiers, leaving one dead and another critically injured. Despite having no known criminal history, Lakanwal had previously worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, as part of a partner force in Kandahar. This detail has sparked debates about the thoroughness of background checks for evacuees.
These back-to-back incidents have cast a shadow over Operation Allies Welcome. A 2022 report by the DHS Inspector General revealed significant data errors in the program, including duplicate identification numbers and misspelled names, making it difficult to track individuals’ histories. The report also highlighted the lack of a clear system to monitor parole expirations for evacuees. Here’s the controversial question: Did these oversights create opportunities for potential threats to slip through the cracks?
In response to the DC shooting, former President Trump vowed to ‘re-examine’ all Afghans admitted during Biden’s presidency, labeling the attack a result of ‘lax migration policies.’ His administration has since imposed an indefinite freeze on immigration requests from Afghan nationals and paused visas for Afghan passport holders. Trump also expanded this pause to include several ‘Third World countries,’ aligning with his hardline stance on immigration—a move that has both supporters and critics weighing in.
But here’s the counterpoint: While these incidents are deeply troubling, does painting all evacuees with the same brush risk overlooking the thousands who fled Afghanistan in legitimate fear for their lives? And could such broad restrictions undermine U.S. commitments to those who aided American efforts abroad? These questions are sparking heated debates, and we want to hear from you. Do these measures go too far, or are they necessary to ensure national security? Share your thoughts in the comments below.