Afghanistan Vetting and Accountability Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to conduct in-person interviews and collect biometric data, such as fingerprints and photos, from all Afghans who were evacuated to the U.S. between early 2021 and early 2022.
• If an evacuee does not participate in these interviews or provide the required information, they would lose access to federal assistance, including unemployment checks and other government programs like food stamps.
• The government would create a database to track each evacuee's name, vetting status, and any criminal records they have from their time in Afghanistan or since arriving in the United States.
• Officials would be required to report their progress to Congress every three months, and government auditors would check the program twice to make sure the vetting is being handled correctly.

Impact Analysis

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