Goodlatte Presses DHS for Information about Man Charged in ISIS Plot to Murder a Military Member
October 6, 2016
Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today pressed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson for information about Nelash Mohamed Das, a resident alien recently arrested for planning the murder of a U.S. military member as part of a terrorist attack.
On September 30, 2016, Das was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and charged with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization by conspiring to murder a U.S. military member in Prince George’s County, Maryland on behalf of ISIS. According to the Department of Justice, Das is a citizen of Bangladesh and a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The FBI alleges that in late 2015 and early 2016, Das used social media to express his support for ISIS, including support for the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, France, and San Bernardino, California.
In Chairman Goodlatte’s letter to Secretary Johnson, he calls on DHS to provide the House Judiciary Committee with information about Das, including his immigration and criminal history, to determine if there were indicators of his radicalization that the Department should have been aware of prior to his arrest.
Below is the text of the letter. The signed copy can be found here.
October 6, 2016 The Honorable Jeh Johnson Secretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20528 Dear Secretary Johnson: On September 30, 2016, Nelash Mohamed Das was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and charged with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization by conspiring to murder a U.S. military member in Prince George’s County, Maryland on behalf of ISIS. According to the Department of Justice, Das is a citizen of Bangladesh and a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The FBI alleges that in late 2015 and early 2016, Das used social media to express his support for ISIS, including support for the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, France, and San Bernardino, California. It is important for the Committee to understand how Das became radicalized and to determine whether there were indicators of his radicalization that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should have been aware of prior to his arrest. Therefore, please provide the following information no later than October 20, 2016:As you know, the Privacy Act authorizes disclosure of information to committees of Congress. If you cannot fully respond to each and every request for documents or information set forth above, please identify the specific item requested to which you cannot fully respond and explain why you cannot respond. If you have any questions about this request, please contact Tracy Short, Counsel, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, at (202) 225-3926. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely, Bob Goodlatte Chairman
- The alien registration number for Nelash Mohamed Das, his complete, unredacted alien file (A-file), including the complete, unredacted alien files of his parents, to the extent that Das derived an immigration benefit through one or both parents, any temporary files, working files, or Service Center files, and all documents and items contained in them, all documents generated by DHS or in its possession about him, whether currently in written or electronic form, including, but not limited to, all Reports of Investigation (ROI), executive summaries, criminal history and immigration summaries, detainers or requests for notification, I-213(s), and Notice(s) to Appear or other charging documents created to seek his removal from the United States.
- Please identify each and every date on which Das was encountered by a law enforcement agency in the United States, to include criminal and civil arrests, the nature of the charge, the jurisdiction where the arrest occurred, the disposition of that charge, the date(s) on which he was released from the custody of that law enforcement agency, and the reason(s) for the release. Please provide the arrest and disposition documentation for each encounter.
- How and when did Das enter the United States? Was he ever served with a Notice to Appear? Was it filed with an immigration court? Please explain.
- Has Das been removed previously? If so, when?
- Has ICE issued a detainer or request for notification to any entity regarding Das? Please explain.