According to a recent House Judiciary Committee report, in January 2021 the Biden-Harris administration granted access to more than 1.7 million people from countries that are thought to pose national security risks to the United States. The report which blasted the administration over its border security highlights the threats that the open southern border and immigration into the country of primarily unvetted people pose.
1.7M Special Interest Aliens
The report addresses “special interest aliens,” or people from 26 countries listed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as most likely to threaten U.S. national security. These nations include Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and many more. They report more than 1.7 million of these folks have entered the U.S. since the start of the Biden administration.
Terrorist Watchlist Concerns
The reports also show that of the 7.6 million illegal aliens who have crossed the border during this administration, at least 382 of the individuals listed on the government’s terrorist list have been pulled over by Border Patrol. Worryingly, according to the report, 99 of those on the watchlist were placed in American communities.
In the report, the House Judiciary Committee identifies numerous cases where people on the terrorist watch list were not screened and released into the country. For instance, the report recounts the story of Mohammad Kharwin, an illegal Afghan who had been let into the U.S. after being placed on the terrorist watchlist. Kharwin was finally rearrested by DHS — months of back-and-forth.
Delayed DHS Transparency
The report also alleges the Biden administration has tried to hide the scale of the border crisis. A longtime top Border Patrol officer testified that he was forbidden from talking about the proliferation of special interest aliens, or reporting on any arrests involving them. This has given cause for fear that the government is playing down the national security threat the border pose.
Legislative Reforms Ahead
As the House Judiciary Committee investigates, the report notes the legislative fixes to help the border crisis and strengthen national security. According to the research, immigration from illegal immigrants, especially from high-risk countries, had rendered the US less impregnable for predators.
These are dire numbers, yet the Biden-Harris administration has attempted to defend its borders by stating that border security and humanitarian care of migrant peoples are both being done. Nonetheless, the report finds that without stronger enforcement, the border crisis will continue to be a threat to national security.
The report by the committee prompts a desperate discussion about where border security in the United States is today and what will be done to avoid future problems.
References:
- House Judiciary Committee Report
- Department of Homeland Security
- Completion Statement by Border Patrol Agent
