Immigration US
US official says about 2,000 Afghans in country flagged over alleged terrorist links
by Bais Hayat
December 12, 2025
A senior US counterterrorism official said about 2,000 Afghan nationals living in the United States have been identified for alleged links to militant groups, following their entry under a programme launched after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, told the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee that the individuals entered the country under “Operation Allies Welcome” and were under review for suspected ties to terrorist organisations.
“We’ve identified 2,000 of that group of 88,000 who have ties to terrorist organisations,” Kent said, referring to Afghans evacuated to the United States after 2021. He said authorities were working with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to investigate the cases.
Kent said US agencies had identified about 18,000 people with alleged ties to militant groups who entered the country during the administration of former President Joe Biden, describing them as the most significant current terrorism-related threat to the United States. He did not provide details on how many of those individuals were Afghan nationals.
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