Kristi Noem, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, announced on the evening of Wednesday, December 3, the arrest of another Afghan citizen named “John Shah Safi.” Safi is accused of providing arms support to the ISIS-Khorasan branch (ISIS-K) and having previously collaborated with this terrorist group.
According to the US Department of Homeland Security, John Shah Safi entered the United States in 2021 during the large-scale Kabul evacuation operation through the “Allies Welcome Program” under President Joe Biden’s administration.He was living in the state of Virginia without legal residency status.
Kabul 24: The Department of Homeland Security emphasized that Safi procured weapons for his father and that evidence of his prior collaboration with ISIS-Khorasan has been uncovered.This arrest marks the third detention of Afghan citizens in less than a week in the United States. Previously:
• Rahmanullah Lakanwal, another Afghan citizen, was accused of an attack near the White House, during which a US National Guard soldier was killed and another was seriously injured. • Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, who also entered the US through the same program, was arrested last week on charges of threatening a bombing in the state of Texas. Kristi Noem sharply criticized the process of resettling Afghans during Joe Biden’s time, calling the program “dangerous and catastrophic,” and stated: “We are paying the price for the previous administration’s recklessness.
Thousands entered the country without thorough security checks, and now we are witnessing the bitter consequences.”The Department of Homeland Security announced that security reviews for all individuals transferred from Afghanistan to the US in 2021 and 2022 will be significantly intensified, and individuals with suspicious backgrounds or terrorist connections will be deported or prosecuted.
These three consecutive arrests have sparked a wave of concern among US security officials and reignited heated debates about the consequences of the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan and the extensive resettlement of former allies without sufficient vetting.
Who is John Shah Safi?
John Shah Safi (or Jaan Shah Safi) is an Afghan citizen who was recently arrested in the United States. Below is a summary of the available information about him based on official announcements from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and news reports:Background on Entry to the US: Date of Entry: Safi entered on September 8, 2021 (17th of Asad, 1400), through the “Operation Allies Welcome” program during President Joe Biden’s administration. This program was part of the urgent evacuation efforts for Afghans following the fall of Kabul, during which approximately 190,000 Afghans were transferred to the US without full security vetting.
He first landed in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and was then relocated to the state of Virginia, where he lived without legal residency status (as an undocumented immigrant). Safi had applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans, but this application was denied and revoked after Kristi Noem (the new DHS Secretary in the Trump administration) ended TPS for Afghans.
Charges: Support for ISIS-Khorasan: Safi is accused of providing material and arms support to the Khorasan branch of the terrorist group ISIS (ISIS-K). He procured weapons for his father—who serves as a commander of a militia group in Afghanistan—and evidence of his prior collaboration with this terrorist group has been discovered.
The DHS has described him as an “illegal migrant terrorist” and emphasized that these supports pose a direct threat to US national security.
Details of the Arrest: Date and Location: Safi was arrested on December 3, 2025 (12th of Qaws, 1404) by agents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in the city of Waynesboro, Virginia.
This arrest is the third case of detaining Afghan citizens on security charges in less than a week: Rahmanullah Lakanwal: Accused of an armed attack on National Guard members near the White House (one killed, one injured).
Mohammad Dawood Alokozay: Accused of threatening a bombing in Texas via TikTok videos.
Kristi Noem, the DHS Secretary, called this arrest a “heroic victory for ICE agents” and described the Biden program as a “catastrophic security crisis.” She stated: “The Biden administration allowed 190,000 Afghans to enter without vetting, and now we are paying the price for it.
Trump halted Afghan resettlement from January 20.” The Trump administration has announced that security reviews for all Afghans transferred in 2021-2022 will be intensified, and suspicious individuals will be deported or prosecuted.
