Top House Committees Outraged by Report of Terrorists Crossing Border
The House committees are expressing strong disapproval towards the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for their lack of response following a concerning report on potential threats of terrorism at the border.
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chair Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., strongly criticized findings by the House Judiciary Committee, revealing that approximately 100 illegal immigrants on the terror watch list were released into the country during the current administration.
“It’s unacceptable that the Biden-Harris Administration has allowed our southern border to remain open, leading to a situation where they are unaware of who is entering the country and their whereabouts once they are here – including potential terrorists,” Turner and Green stated in a joint release.
Back in April, the two GOP lawmakers wrote to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) seeking clarification on the existing mechanisms, if any, to identify individuals on the terror watch list attempting to enter the U.S. borders, and to locate them if released.
“The FBI and DHS have so far failed to address these fundamental queries,” they declared.
Highlighting the implications of the open border policies, which have resulted in potential terrorists entering the nation, the lawmakers asserted their commitment to countering these threats and ensuring the safety of Americans. They demanded that the FBI and DHS respond to their inquiries.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has previously voiced concerns regarding possible terrorist threats originating from the southwestern border in numerous congressional hearings. He emphasized the risks posed by foreign terrorists exploiting the border or other entry points to carry out attacks against American citizens. Recent collaborative efforts between the Bureau, joint terrorism task forces, and ICE led to the arrest of individuals with suspected ties to international terrorist groups.
Wray underscored the significance of identifying unknown terrorists who might have entered the U.S. using false documents or lacked prior connections to terrorism at the time of their arrival.
According to the report, at least 34 individuals are currently in DHS custody but have not been deported from the United States yet.
The report also outlined that at least 27 migrants on the terror watchlist who entered the country unlawfully were granted bond by immigration judges. Moreover, Border Patrol encountered tens of thousands of migrants hailing from nations that pose potential national security risks, including Afghan, Chinese, Iranian, Syrian, and Uzbek nationals.
Additionally, the report disclosed that countless potential terrorists successfully evaded Border Patrol and entered the U.S. as part of the nearly 2 million “gotaways” since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration.
Information provided to the committee staff in June revealed that Border Patrol had encountered migrants on the terror watchlist from 36 different countries, some of which have active terror elements. These countries include Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, and Yemen.
The gravity of the situation necessitates immediate action and comprehensive strategies to prevent potential terrorists from entering the country undetected.
