A 28-year-old man, Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi, has admitted to conspiring to support ISIS, according to the Justice Department.
Alqaysi pleaded guilty to designing logos for ISIS’s media wing, known as the Kalachnikov team, and sending hacking tutorials and videos to ISIS members between 2015 and 2020. He also admitted to providing stolen credit card information and creating fake identity documents for the terrorist organization.
Currently a legal permanent resident in Richmond, Texas, Alqaysi will remain in custody until his sentencing on June 5. He faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and fines reaching $250,000.
The guilty plea comes amid stricter refugee screening measures introduced during the Trump administration. In January, then-President Donald Trump signed executive orders suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and enhancing the vetting process for refugees, especially those from regions considered security risks.
One of these directives, titled “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program,” instructs the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to admit refugees on a “case by case basis” if they are determined not to pose a security threat.
Vice President JD Vance also expressed concerns about refugee screening in January, cautioning against admitting large numbers of individuals without proper vetting. He cited an October 2024 arrest of an Afghan national accused of plotting an Election Day attack on behalf of ISIS. “We know there have been cases where people thought to be properly vetted were actually planning attacks here,” Vance remarked in an interview. “That happened during the campaign, if you recall. Clearly, some individuals have bypassed proper screening.”
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