This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to conduct thorough background checks on all non-citizen individuals evacuated from Afghanistan to the United States between January 2021 and January 2022, including those who came through Operation Allies Welcome. The vetting process must include verification of personal information, biometric data collection, and in-person interviews, with all findings maintained in a centralized database that tracks criminal records and use of federal benefits. Afghan evacuees who refuse to provide their information or submit to in-person interviews will be barred from receiving unemployment benefits and federal assistance programs. The Secretary of Homeland Security must submit quarterly progress reports to Congress until vetting is complete, and the Government Accountability Office will audit compliance within two years and again one year after the vetting concludes. The bill effectively uses federal benefits eligibility as a mechanism to compel participation in the vetting program.
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