An internal federal memo revealed that a confirmed member of al-Shabaab, a designated terrorist organization, was caught illegally crossing the southern border and subsequently released into the country.
The individual was later arrested in Minnesota.
Concerns were raised about the release of individuals before complete records checks, posing a potential threat to national security.
“People have been released prior to completed records checks being returned on a subject,” an ICE official said. “Which would not allow proper processing and placement of a potential terrorist once those results were known.”
The situation has sparked criticism of the vetting process and border security, with calls for more comprehensive background checks and enforcement of immigration laws.
“Many within the Biden administration, including [Homeland] Secretary Mayorkas, have repeatedly assured us that the vetting process at the border is comprehensive and complete,” retired ICE field director John Fabbricatore said.
“However, we continue to witness alarming instances where terrorists are able to freely roam the United States for months after being released at the border before their criminal and terrorist histories come to light … his situation is greatly endangering our nation, and it is clear that our safety is dependent on enforcing our immigration laws and securing the border.”
“The overburdening of the Border Patrol with the excessive amounts of illegal border crossers has forced faster processing times, which doesn’t allow for a more vigorous initial investigation into a [migrant’s] background,” he said.
“The background checks currently being run only initially search out criminal history in the United States, not outside its borders. It could take days, weeks, or months to connect derogatory information coming from other databases.”
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