By Corinne Murdock |
Border Patrol agents released an illegal immigrant in Arizona listed on the FBI’s terrorist watchlist.
Last April, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released an illegal immigrant on the FBI’s terrorist watch list, according to an investigation by the conservative organization Judicial Watch. Due to investigative errors and reported pressure to release detainees quickly due to overcrowding in holding facilities, the illegal immigrant was freed and wasn’t arrested until over two weeks after initial apprehension.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) issued a press release criticizing the state of the border under President Joe Biden’s administration. Gosar speculated that the Yuma terrorist case was likely just one out of many others unaddressed, alluding to the massive number of “gotaways”: those illegal immigrants not directly or indirectly observed crossing the border.
“Joe Biden has put our entire country and the safety of all Americans at risk because of his failed open-border policies,” said Gosar. “Rather than spending more than $200 billion fighting a proxy war in Ukraine, Joe Biden must begin protecting American citizens and safeguarding our borders at home.”
“If CBP’s ineffective practices for resolving inconclusive Terrorist Watchlist matches continue, the component risks releasing individuals into the United States who potentially threaten national security and public safety,” stated the report.
It took Immigrations Customs Enforcement (ICE) over two weeks to track down the terrorist.
Since Biden took office, there have been over 5.8 million illegal immigrant encounters.
In May, the Biden administration claimed their border encounters “remain low” due to their policies. While there were around 40,000 less encounters in May of this year versus the last, this year’s May total was nearly 24,000 more than the encounters in May 2021, over 181,000 more than May 2020, over 60,000 more than May 2019, over 152,000 more than May 2018, and over 188,000 more than May 2017.
June did mark a 55,600 decline from the last fiscal year and a 44,400 decline from 2021, but still much higher compared to pre-Biden years: over 111,500 more than 2020, for example. July also marked a decline but, again, only compared to the last two years: it represents a 142,500 increase from July in the 2020 fiscal year.
So far this fiscal year, ending in September, there have been 146 terrorist illegal immigrants apprehended crossing the border, compared to 98 last year, 15 in 2021, three in 2020, zero in 2019, six in 2018, and two in 2017.
Just last week, federal agents arrested an MS-13 gang member in Alabama.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
