The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested an Afghan national in Virginia who federal officials say provided support to ISIS-K after entering the United States through the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome program.
According to DHS, agents took 24-year-old Jaan Shah Safi into custody in Waynesboro, Va. Officials said Safi entered the country on September 8, 2021, in Philadelphia under Operation Allies Welcome and later provided weapons and other support to ISIS-K. DHS also said Safi supplied weapons to his father, who is described as a commander of a militia group in Afghanistan.
Federal officials said Safi remained in the United States as an illegal alien after applying for Temporary Protected Status. DHS ended TPS for Afghan nationals earlier this year, terminating his pending application. Safi was arrested on December 3.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the arrest highlights ongoing national security concerns tied to Afghan nationals admitted during Operation Allies Welcome. Noem said the program allowed nearly 190,000 Afghan arrivals into the United States using what she described as “unvetted referrals,” and that the Trump administration halted Afghan refugee resettlement upon taking office on January 20.
“This terrorist was arrested miles from our nation’s capital,” Noem said, referencing the fatal ambush of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., days earlier. She said the administration will continue prioritizing national security and directing ICE to locate and arrest individuals who entered the country without proper vetting.
DHS said Safi’s arrest is the third case this week involving an Afghan national who entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome. On November 26, federal officials identified Rahmanullah Lakanwal as the suspect who carried out an ambush attack on two National Guard members near the White House. One day earlier, on November 25, local authorities and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Mohammad Dawood Alokozay in Fort Worth, Texas, after he allegedly posted a video online indicating he was constructing an explosive device.
Federal officials said additional investigations remain ongoing as DHS continues reviewing individuals admitted under the program.
