(RepublicanPress.org) – In August 2023, the Biden administration announced it stopped a network trying to smuggle at least one terrorist group member from Uzbekistan into the US. Ten months later, eight migrants from Tajikistan with possible ties to ISIS were arrested in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadephia. Now, Senate Republicans are looking for answers.
On June 18, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) and several other GOP lawmakers in the Upper Chamber penned a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The senators said they were concerned about the eight individuals from Tajikistan, stating that two of them crossed the border in early 2023 and one “used the CBP One app to enter the US.
One of the migrants arrested who was reportedly talking about bombs was allegedly released by federal authorities and didn’t have a court date until 2025. In fact, the letter stated those eight individuals were vetted upon entering the country, and no ties to ISIS were detected — a concerning turn of events.
FBI Director Christopher Wray previously stated the US is facing increasing threats from both homegrown extremists and foreign terrorist organizations. The director reportedly testified there is also a growing concern about the “potential for a coordinated attack” in America.
The senators detailed other concerning instances of federal authorities releasing migrants on the terrorist watchlist, pointing out to Mayorkas that Wray admitted that authorities were searching for individuals under terrorism investigation.
The information requested from Mayorkas in the letter included the names of arrested individuals, when and where they entered the US, whether or not they claimed asylum, details about the vetting process, if they are members of terrorist groups, whether they have weapons, and if they are planning an attack.
In a statement, Budd accused President Joe Biden of failing to “protect and defend” the US, given the reported incidents at the border. He vowed to “expose what happened” there and ensure “it never happens again.”
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