More than $36 million in federal grants tied to Afghan refugee resettlement has been directed to Texas cities and counties since the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan. The funding coincides with recent public safety concerns after two Afghan parolees brought to the U.S. under the same program were arrested in separate violent incidents.
Operation Allies Welcome was launched as the Biden administration evacuated more than 76,000 Afghans to the United States following the military withdrawal from Kabul. Many evacuees entered on humanitarian parole after expedited or incomplete vetting due to a collapse of Afghan government records and limited screening capabilities.
In Fort Worth, 33-year-old Mohammad Dawood Alokozay was arrested after allegedly posting a TikTok video in which he claimed he was building a bomb and threatened to target a local building.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Rahmanullah Lakanwal was arrested after allegedly shooting two National Guardsmen, killing one.
Public grant data shows that Texas jurisdictions received significant funding tied to the Biden-era program.
Harris County received more than $13.7 million, followed by Dallas County at more than $5.7 million. Bexar County took in $5.1 million, Austin received $4.7 million, and Tarrant County—where the recent bomb threat suspect was arrested—got nearly $4 million.
Smaller jurisdictions such as Abilene, Amarillo, and Midland also received allocations ranging from hundreds of thousands to more than $1 million.
The grants were administered through the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) and intended to cover medical care, mental health programs, and other support services for the Afghan arrivals.
USCRI describes its mission as promoting “cultural pluralism” and encouraging immigrants to maintain their languages and cultures while participating in American life.
The arrests involving individuals admitted through the program have raised questions about vetting practices, program oversight, and how the federal resettlement funds were used in local Texas communities.
Texas has resettled tens of thousands of Afghan refugees since 2021, primarily in major cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston.
