The Department of Homeland Security says Operation Allies Welcome was the U.S. government’s coordinated effort to support Afghan nationals after the fall of Kabul in 2021, bringing together multiple federal agencies to process, screen, house and resettle tens of thousands of vulnerable people.
President Joe Biden directed DHS on Aug. 29, 2021, to lead the operation and coordinate assistance across the federal government.
DHS created a Unified Coordination Group to manage the effort and ensure all agencies — including the Departments of Defense and State — were working together.
According to DHS, all Afghan nationals considered for relocation underwent a strict, multi-layered security process before boarding flights to the United States.
About 400 U.S. personnel were deployed to processing hubs in countries including Germany, Qatar, Italy, Kuwait, Spain, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Screenings involved intelligence, law-enforcement and counterterrorism agencies such as the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center.
Biometric data, fingerprints, photographs and biographic information were checked to ensure individuals did not pose national-security or public-safety concerns.
Anyone who did not pass those checks was not permitted to travel.
Additional inspections also occurred when evacuees arrived at U.S. airports.
DHS says most Afghans entered the country under humanitarian parole, allowing them to stay in the United States for two years while receiving medical screenings, vaccinations and other required health checks.
Parolees were required to meet certain conditions such as completing MMR, varicella, polio and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Failure to meet those conditions could affect work authorization or lead to termination of parole.
Many parolees became eligible to apply for immigration benefits through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
More than 40% of Afghans who arrived were eligible for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV), DHS says.
These individuals had worked directly with the U.S. government or coalition forces in Afghanistan, often in roles that carried significant risk.
Those who already held an approved SIV entered as lawful permanent residents.
Others who had begun—but not completed—the process were paroled into the country and allowed to continue their SIV applications.
The United States also evacuated journalists, human-rights advocates, humanitarian workers and family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The government required COVID-19 testing for all arrivals, including U.S. citizens and Afghan nationals.
Vaccinations and medical care were made available at no cost.
Afghan parolees were required to receive age-appropriate immunizations and undergo tuberculosis screening.
DHS says these health protections were based on CDC guidance.
After arriving at U.S. airports, Afghans who needed additional processing or support were transported to eight military installations offering temporary housing:
- Marine Corps Base Quantico (VA)
- Fort Pickett (VA)
- Fort Lee (VA)
- Holloman Air Force Base (NM)
- Fort McCoy (WI)
- Fort Bliss (TX)
- Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ)
- Camp Atterbury (IN)
While at these bases, evacuees received medical care, mental-health services and help applying for work authorization.
DHS, DOD and the State Department coordinated staffing and resources across the sites.
The Department of State led the resettlement phase, working with more than 200 local affiliates nationwide.
Through the Afghan Placement and Assistance Program (APA), families were placed in communities based on housing availability, family connections and the capacity of local organizations.
According to a Department of State investigation in 2023, the APA “involved some of the most significant challenges that they have ever faced.”
The report said many of the agencies involved did not have adequate staffing and had to hire quickly to implement the program.
Additionally, the fast pace of arrivals, the lack of available housing, and the difficulty of obtaining necessary documentation for the people involved led to numerous challenges.
As of August 2022, 72,000 Afghans had been resettled under the APA program.
Evacuees received briefings explaining U.S. laws, their rights, and how legal violations could affect their parole or immigration status.
For Afghans outside the evacuation pipeline but still seeking protection, the State Department continued processing cases through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Afghan humanitarian parolees became eligible for certain federal benefits, including:
- Cash and medical assistance
- Employment preparation and job placement
- English-language training
- Health insurance programs such as Medicaid (depending on eligibility)
- Food assistance through SNAP (depending on eligibility)
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) encouraged parolees to apply quickly, as some benefits were time-limited — including eight months of ORR-funded financial and medical support.
DHS and the State Department partnered with Welcome.US and the Community Sponsorship Hub to allow individuals, community groups and nonprofit organizations to directly support Afghan arrivals.
The Sponsor Circle Program allowed volunteers to be vetted and trained to provide initial resettlement support.
Since 2021, DHS and USCIS have continued issuing updates about parole extensions, processing guidance, TPS redesignations, work-authorization changes and other policies affecting Afghans who entered through Operation Allies Welcome.
©2025 Cox Media Group
