Karoline Leavitt slams Biden after Afghan national in Texas is arrested over bomb threat

WASHINGTON, DC: The White House sharply criticized former President Joe Biden after the Department of Homeland Security confirmed an Afghan migrant admitted under Biden’s "Operation Allies Welcome" was arrested for making a te**oristic threat. 

The arrest, coming just a day before the DC shooting allegedly carried out by another Afghan national, triggered renewed scrutiny of Biden-era vetting protocols.

Karoline Leavitt blames Biden for ‘national security crisis’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a strong rebuke, saying Biden’s Afghan resettlement decisions had created avoidable risks.

“The magnitude of the national security crisis Joe Biden unleashed on our country over the span of four years cannot be overstated,” Leavitt said, responding to news of the arrest.

Her comments came after officials revealed that an Afghan man admitted under Biden’s 2021 resettlement program had been charged with making a te**oristic threat, prompting a political showdown over immigration policies.

Leavitt’s statement immediately drew attention because of the timing, the second major incident involving an Afghan national in less than 48 hours. A senior official said the press secretary’s remarks reflected “growing frustration” within the administration.

DHS says suspect entered US through 'Operation Allies Welcome'

The DHS announcement came from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who said the suspect, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, entered the US as a lawful permanent resident on September 7, 2022, through "Operation Allies Welcome." The program was launched under Biden to resettle Afghans after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

McLaughlin revealed that Alokozay allegedly posted a TikTok video showing himself building what appeared to be a bomb and referencing an “intended target” in the Fort Worth area. She said he was arrested on Tuesday by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. ICE has since placed a detainer on him. As of now, no attorney information for Alokozay is listed in court records.

Court documents state that Alokozay has been charged at the state level with making a te**oristic threat, a charge investigators say was supported by explicit video content. Sources briefed on the case say the TikTok showed materials arranged in a way that “appeared intended to mimic bomb-making,” prompting immediate federal involvement.

Officials familiar with his background say Alokozay arrived with no known criminal history and initially passed all standard vetting procedures. DHS records show he was admitted as a permanent resident, not a temporary parolee, a detail that is now drawing political attention.

Trump has ordered a reexamination of Afghan nationals who entered under Biden

Mohammad Dawood Alokozay’s arrest came just one day after authorities detained another Afghan national, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who is accused of carrying out the ambush-style shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC. The attack left 20-year-old Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom dead and a second service member in critical condition.

Investigators said Lakanwal had been living in Washington state and applied for asylum in December 2024 before receiving approval earlier this year. Officials said he had no known criminal record before the shooting.

The back-to-back incidents prompted President Donald Trump to announce that his administration would “reexamine every Afghan national who entered under Joe Biden.” The administration also temporarily paused visas for travelers using Afghan passports as a precaution while security reviews continue.