DHS review finds errors in 40% of Biden-era Afghan asylum files

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review has identified errors in 40% of the asylum files examined under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) programme, raising concerns about gaps in the screening and adjudication process.

According to a DHS statement, the department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviewed the programme between March 2024 and January 2025 after concerns that accelerated processing requirements could limit the ability of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to conduct comprehensive reviews.

The review found that USCIS missed opportunities in some cases to link aliases provided by applicants with other information that could potentially have affected their eligibility for asylum, DHS said.

Operation Allies Welcome was established under the Biden administration following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Under the Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022, USCIS was required to interview OAW asylum applicants within 45 days of filing.

Following a 2023 lawsuit against DHS, a settlement required USCIS to adjudicate 90% of OAW asylum applications within 150 days.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticized the programme, saying established asylum-screening procedures had not been followed and arguing that the identified errors could create security risks.

The DHS statement cited several cases involving Afghan nationals admitted to the United States through OAW who were later arrested or charged.

These included an Afghan national arrested in November 2025 on federal charges of threatening to kill Americans; an individual identified by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as an ISIS-K member who was arrested in December 2025; and another Afghan national arrested in March 2026 who had previously been convicted of indecent exposure involving a minor.

DHS said the findings demonstrate the need for stronger screening procedures in asylum processing.

The reported 40% error rate refers to errors identified in the asylum files reviewed by the OIG. It does not mean that 40% of the applicants were members of terrorist groups or had criminal records.

The findings and security concerns cited in the statement are those of DHS and its interpretation of the OIG review.