Mayorkas refuses to answer questions on Afghan accused of Election Day terror plot

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday refused to answer questions about an Afghan national accused of an Election Day terror plot on behalf of ISIS, amid ongoing concerns about the vetting of those brought to the U.S.

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich questioned Mayorkas at a White House briefing on Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, who was arrested and charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS and receiving a gun to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism.

The filing in the case initially said Tawhedi came to the U.S. on a special immigrant visa in September 2021, after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and is now on parole. However, officials have since clarified that he came to the U.S. via humanitarian parole and later applied for SIV status.

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Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 1. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Heinrich asked Mayorkas how Tawhedi was brought to the U.S. and about the screening he underwent. But Mayorkas said he wished to focus on the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton. He was in North Carolina and participated in the briefing remotely.

"Over 200 people have lost their lives in Hurricane Helene. We have reports that at least 10 individuals have lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Milton. And I'd be very pleased to answer your question in a different setting, but we're here to talk about emergencies and the support that we can deliver to people in desperate need," he said.

Heinrich asked again, specifically asking why he did not have answers prepared, but Mayorkas said that was not the case.

"What I said is I'd be pleased to discuss this issue at a different time, but I am here to speak about disasters that have impacted people's lives in real time. And that is a subject that I am addressing today," he said.

Heinrich followed up to ask again, but Mayorkas again declined.

"Jacqui, your persistence in questioning can be matched by my persistence in answers," he said.

After the exchange, a senior administration official told Fox News that Tawhedi was screened three times. He was screened first to work security for the CIA in Afghanistan, then for humanitarian parole to enter the U.S. in 2021, when he was vetted and screened in a third country, and then for special immigrant status, for which he was approved. His status has not yet been finalized. Officials believe he was radicalized after coming to the U.S.

There is also no indication that there were any red flags that should have barred his entry at any point in the process. His alleged co-conspirator in the case entered the country in 2018 and also passed vetting to receive a green card.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi makes the "Tawhid" gesture.   (Department of Justice)

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The U.S. brought in more than 97,000 evacuees during the evacuation in 2021, of which about 77,000 were admitted via humanitarian parole through a program called Operation Allies Welcome. 

But the new case has renewed concerns about vetting in the program, which has been identified for years by the DHS internal watchdog and by Republicans in Congress. In 2022, the DHS Office of Inspector General released a report in which it said it found that officials "did not always have critical data to properly screen, vet, or inspect the evacuees.

"As a result, DHS may have admitted or paroled individuals into the United States who pose a risk to national security and the safety of local communities," the report said.

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A Pentagon inspector general report the same year revealed that at least 50 evacuees were brought to the U.S. whose information indicated "potentially serious security concerns" and that officials were unable to locate dozens with derogatory information.

A 2024 report found "vulnerabilities" in the processes of two DHS agencies for resolving derogatory information. It also found that DHS did not have a process for monitoring the expiration of the two-year parole period and guidelines for determining "re-parole" for parolees are "undefined."

The Biden administration has repeatedly defended the vetting process, arguing there is a multilayered process that includes classified and unclassified vetting, including against Pentagon and FBI databases as well as Interpol notices and other information. 

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"Afghan evacuees who sought to enter the United States were subject to multilayered screening and vetting against intelligence, law enforcement and counterterrorism information," a DHS spokesperson said Wednesday. "If new information emerges after arrival, appropriate action is taken." 

But the latest revelation has only fueled concerns from Republicans. In a letter to Mayorkas on Tuesday, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said it was "unacceptable that the Biden-Harris administration is precariously failing to take measures to safeguard U.S. national security by allowing alleged terrorists into the interior of the United States to plot terrorist attacks."

Fox News' Matteo Cina contributed to this report.