The Trump administration is set to significantly bolster its scrutiny of foreign nationals with the introduction of a new vetting center.
This initiative comes in the wake of several high-profile arrests involving Afghan men accused of planning or executing severe attacks on American soil. According to a memo obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is establishing a specialized unit aimed at enhancing the nation's migrant vetting procedures.
The center's mission is to assist federal authorities in identifying terrorists, criminal aliens, and other foreigners who may pose a threat to the United States.
As reported by Conservative Daily News, USCIS Director Joe Edlow emphasized the critical role of the agency within the national immigration framework. "USCIS role in the nations immigration system has never been more critical," Edlow stated. He further elaborated, "In the wake of several recent incidents of violence, including a foreign national attacking National Guard service members on U.S. soil, establishing this vetting center will give us more enhanced capabilities to safeguard national security and ensure public safety."
The Atlanta-based vetting center will utilize a comprehensive range of screening capabilities and cutting-edge technology to review immigration applications and petitions. It will also reassess previously approved applications and prioritize those from countries identified as high-risk. This move is seen as a necessary response to the perceived laxity in immigration processes during the Biden administration, which, according to Trump officials, led to a historic border crisis and a disorderly military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Edlow criticized the previous administration's approach, stating, "Under the Biden administration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was pushed to expedite the immigration and naturalization processes with little regard for how that affected national security and the safety of our communities." He added, "We changed that approach on day one of the Trump administration." The USCIS director further asserted, "Under President Trump, we are building more protective measures that ensure fraud, deception, and threats do not breach the integrity of our immigration system."
The Trump administration's renewed focus on border security has intensified following the alleged actions of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 under humanitarian parole. Lakanwal is accused of killing a National Guard member and critically injuring another in an ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C., just before Thanksgiving.
In response, federal immigration officials have imposed stringent restrictions on asylum applications for all foreign nationals and have completely halted immigration processes for individuals from 19 countries classified as "high-risk."
The urgency of these measures is underscored by the arrests of three Afghan nationals admitted to the U.S. under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program. Among them, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay was apprehended by the FBI for allegedly making bomb threats in Fort Worth, Texas, while Jaan Shah Safi was detained for allegedly supporting ISIS-K.
These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges and complexities of maintaining national security in the face of evolving threats.
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