The United States Department of Homeland Security announced on Mar. 16 the arrest of Basir Ahmad Safi, an Afghan national who entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome and was later convicted of indecent exposure to a minor.
The case highlights concerns about the vetting process for individuals admitted through Operation Allies Welcome, a program that allowed thousands of Afghan nationals into the United States following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
According to DHS, Safi was paroled into the United States in 2021 and arrested by the Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff's Office in September 2023. He faced charges including lewd or lascivious exhibition, soliciting a child via computer, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and child abuse. Safi was ultimately convicted of indecent exposure to a minor.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said, “This unvetted Afghan pedophile was let into our country by the Biden administration. He should NEVER have been allowed into our country or given the opportunity to prey on innocent children. Operation Allies Welcome was a Biden-era parole program that let thousands of unvetted Afghan nationals including terrorists, sexual predators, pedophiles, domestic abusers, and kidnappers into our country.” Bis added that under President Trump’s leadership, DHS has focused on identifying and removing public safety threats like Safi.
Safi was arrested on March 11 as part of an investigation conducted jointly by Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. At the time of his arrest, his status had been revoked and he was unlawfully residing in the United States. DHS stated that he will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
The department also reported that nearly 190,000 Afghan nationals were admitted under referrals during the Biden administration before refugee resettlement from Afghanistan was halted on January 20 under President Trump.
