A Dangerous Welcome: Biden’s Open Arms Policy Leads to Arrests of ISIS Supporters

The federal government faces growing concerns over a controversial resettlement initiative following Wednesday’s arrest of Jaan Shah Safi, an Afghan national accused of providing material support to ISIS-K. DHS officials allege that the 29-year-old supplied weapons directly to his father.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem used her office to voice sharp criticism against former President Donald Trump’s successor, highlighting the specific risks posed by the program implemented during the previous administration. “Today, our heroic ICE officers arrested Jaan Shah Safi, a terrorist who provided material support to ISIS-K,” she stated bluntly.

Noem directly blamed then-President Joe Biden and his policies, including Operation Allies Welcome: “The Biden administration brought this terrorist into the U.S. under the disastrous Operation Allies Welcome program.” She later added that these individuals were already established threats by the time they arrived: “This terrorist was arrested miles from our nation’s capital where our brave National Guard heroes, Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, were shot just days ago by another unvetted Afghan terrorist brought into our country.”

The DHS confirms Safi entered America on September 8th via Operation Allies Welcome – a federal effort launched in 2021 to aid vulnerable Afghans after the US withdrawal. Critics argue this program failed catastrophically when it allowed nearly 190,000 unvetted Afghan individuals into America without proper screening beforehand.

Furthermore, Noem issued a stark warning about the consequences: “The Biden administration created one of the worst national security crises in American history… they were already on American soil.”

These comments came after a tragic incident that claimed innocent lives. Last week, during routine duties near Farragut West Metro station, Guard members Beckstrom (20) and Wolfe (24) were shot. The suspect identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal was also brought to the US through the same program.

Alokozay is not an isolated case. James Morley III reported that a day after this attack, authorities arrested Mohammad Dawood Alokozay on suspicion of bomb threats in Fort Worth under similar suspicion – “DHS said Alokozay was also brought to the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome.”