Mayorkas refuses to answer questions about Afghan national accused of plotting IS-inspired terror attack

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas declined to answer questions Thursday about an Afghan man accused of plotting an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack on Election Day.

Mayorkas, 64, fired back at a Fox News reporter who opened up about how Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi gained entry to the U.S., the vetting process involved and whether it is known whether the Oklahoma City resident , 27 years old, became radicalized sooner or later after arriving in the country.

“I’d be more than happy to answer your question in a different setting, but we’re here to talk about emergencies and the support we can provide to people who desperately need it,” the DHS chief responded during a virtual House appearance white press conference

The reporter noted that DHS and the State Department have given “conflicting answers” about Tawhedi’s immigration status, with Mayorkas’ agency saying the alleged terrorist arrived on a special immigrant visa issued by the State Department and the State Department indicating that Tawhedi was paroled. in country by DHS.

“How come you don’t have those answers ready?” the reporter asked Mayorkas, who seemed irritated by the grilling.

“Oh, uh, that’s not what I said,” Mayorkas replied. “What I’ve said is that I’d like to talk about this topic at a different time, but I’m here to talk about the disasters that have affected people’s lives in real time and that’s the topic I’m addressing today.”

Asked if he could at least “assure the people that adequate measures have been taken to protect the country against these kinds of threats,” Mayorkas again declined to answer.

“Your persistence in questions can be matched by my persistence in answers,” he said, drawing laughter from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Mayorkas was appearing at the briefing from North Carolina, where he was overseeing recovery efforts related to Hurricane Helene.

Tawhedi was charged Tuesday by the Justice Department with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS after he allegedly communicated with a terrorist facilitator, stockpiled weapons and ammunition, and made efforts to sell his family’s assets and move relatives to the foreigner as part of his plans to carry out a massacre on election day.

The Afghan national entered the United States on September 9, 2021, just weeks after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and the last US troops left the war-torn nation in a chaotic exodus orchestrated by the Harris-Biden administration.