Rep. Herrell: Americans need transparency with Afghan refugee vetting
WASHINGTON (SBG) - After a female soldier was allegedly assaulted by a group of male Afghan evacuees at Fort Bliss in September, New Mexico Congresswoman Yvette Herrell says she has yet to receive an update from the FBI’s investigation.
“We had a meeting with leadership at Fort Bliss as soon as we were made aware of the incident,” said Representative Yvette Herrell to The National Desk’s Jan Jeffcoat. ”What is very troubling to me though is our office has made multiple requests for an update on the investigation, and we are being stonewalled.”
Rep. Herrell says she was told the servicemember was back to work at a different location from where the Afghan refugees are being held.
“I'm concerned that there have been no arrests made. We don't even know if these Afghans are still at Fort Bliss because as you know they're allowed to leave the base at any time,” said Rep. Herrell. “It just goes to show that the American public needs transparency with the Afghans.”
Rep. Herrell has called for a full investigation into the vetting process of Afghan evacuees.
“The data and the vetting is only as good as what you can compare it to. So were they truly able to compare criminal backgrounds, security backgrounds?” said Rep. Herrell. “What's really sad is we already know Afghans made it to the nation who had been deported by Department of Homeland Security earlier on.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has said that there is a multi-layered, multi-agency screening and vetting process. Rep. Herrell says she supports helping Afghans who assisted U.S. forces, but a complete analysis and vetting process is needed before entering the U.S.
“I think it behooves us to at least leave these Afghan nationals in other nations until we can do a complete analysis and vetting process on each and every one of them, guaranteeing the American people that we do know their criminal background, that they can pass security background checks, that they are actually Special Immigrant Passport Holders,” said Rep. Herrell.
Secretary Mayorkas revealed to The New York Post that of the 60,000 Afghan evacuees, just 3% are Special Immigrant Visa holders, 6% are lawful permanent residents and 7% are U.S. citizens. The remainder is a combination of SIV applicants whose applications have not been finalized.
“This is why this is so concerning to our office and obviously other members of Congress, because we just don't know who's coming in, and we really don't have faith in this vetting process, because we know that they have already made mistakes,” said Rep. Herrell.
