Of the more than 60,000 evacuees who have arrived on U.S. soil since Aug. 17, the lists show, 13 Afghans remain in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody awaiting additional screening and review procedures, including interviews with FBI and counterterrorism teams.

Another 15 evacuees who were considered security concerns have been turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sent back to transit sites in Europe or the Middle East, or in some cases approved for release after additional review. There are 16 Afghans on the DHS lists who have not been cleared to travel and remain overseas at the transit sites U.S. officials call “lily pads.”…

Biden officials say the vetting is rigorous and multifaceted, drawing on military, intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism agencies and their databases. Evacuees who aren’t approved will not be released into the United States.