S. 344 — A bill to require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to identify and conduct recurrent vetting of evacuees from Afghanistan found not to be properly vetted before entering the United States.

This section states congressional findings on deficiencies identified by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General in screening, vetting, and inspecting over 79,000 Afghan evacuees paroled into the United States between July 2021 and January 2022 as part of Operation Allies Refuge and Operation Allies Welcome (i.e., U.S. government efforts to evacuate and resettle vulnerable Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan). It directs the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, not later than 30 days after enactment, to (1) identify all such evacuees remaining in the United States; (2) conduct full screening and vetting using all law enforcement and international terrorist databases based on confirmed identity, prioritizing those lacking identity documentation upon arrival; (3) establish recurrent and periodic vetting processes, including in-person interviews as necessary, for the duration of their authorized parole; and (4) provide evidence of such vetting to the Director of National Intelligence, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, Secretary of Homeland Security, Attorney General, and state and local law enforcement in the evacuees' locations. It further requires the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General to submit to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Homeland Security, not later than 180 days after enactment, a report on the vetting results, including the number of evacuees found ineligible for U.S. admission and specific reasons for each.