A recent congressional report indicates that during the Biden-Harris administration, at least 99 individuals listed on the U.S. terrorist watchlist were permitted entry into the country after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to the report published by the House Judiciary Committee, Border Patrol agents encountered over 250 illegal migrants on the terrorist watchlist along the southern border from fiscal years 2021 to 2023. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) subsequently allowed at least 99 of these individuals to enter the country without restrictions. Additionally, the report states that 34 suspected terrorists remain in DHS custody but have not yet been deported from the United States.
“While national security officials alert Americans about potential terrorist threats, Biden-Harris Administration officials continue to downplay the national security nightmare created by the border crisis,” the report stated. “For example, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas repeatedly claims that illegal aliens are adequately screened and ‘individuals who pose a threat to national security or public safety are detained.’”
“But the on-the-ground reality reflects serious — and potentially dangerous — flaws in the open-borders policies, as DHS has released into the country illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist,” the report continues.
During the Biden-Harris administration, Border Patrol agents have identified foreign nationals on the terror watchlist from 36 distinct countries, including regions recognized as terrorist strongholds such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Yemen, Lebanon, and Somalia, as reported by the House Judiciary Committee.
According to the most recent data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), over 7 million foreign nationals have attempted to unlawfully enter the United States under the Biden-Harris administration. Among those apprehended, 375 individuals were found to be on the federal government’s terrorist watchlist, marking an increase of over 3,000% in the number of suspected terrorists captured compared to the previous Trump administration.
Between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, immigration judges granted bond to at least 27 illegal migrants on the terrorist watchlist who were intercepted while crossing into the U.S. outside of designated entry points. Furthermore, reports indicate that at least four individuals on the watchlist were granted asylum by immigration judges.
This report comes in the wake of the arrest of several Tajik nationals in the U.S. earlier this year, who are believed to have connections to ISIS. If substantial evidence is gathered indicating an individual’s potential links to terrorism or terrorist organizations, their name will be added to the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB), which is monitored and shared among various government agencies, including CBP.
