ExclusiveA new House report says roughly 100 illegal immigrants on terrorism watch lists have been released into the U.S. under the Biden administration, while Border Patrol agents are encountering migrants on watch lists from dozens of countries.
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, of the more than 250 undocumented immigrants on the terrorism watch list encountered by Border Patrol at the Southwest border between FY2021 and FY2023, DHS has released at least 99 into U.S. communities and at least 34 remain in DHS custody but have not yet been removed from the United States,” said the report by Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee, a copy of which was first obtained by Fox News Digital.
The officials’ interim report also found that immigration judges had granted bail to at least 27 migrants on watch lists who had entered the country illegally and that Border Patrol had encountered tens of thousands of migrants from countries that may pose national security risks, including 2,134 Afghans, 33,347 Chinese, 541 Iranians, 520 Syrians and 3,104 Uzbeks.
Biden DHS says 50 migrants still at large as ISIS-linked smuggling network brings hundreds into US
The report was written by Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan. (Caroline Breman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“This does not include the countless potential terrorists among the nearly 2 million ‘fugitives’ who have evaded Border Patrol and entered the United States since the Biden-Harris administration took office,” the report said.
Citing information provided to committee staff in June, the report also found that Border Patrol agents encountered migrants from 36 countries on terrorism watch lists, including countries with active terrorist activity. These countries include Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan and Yemen.
Authorities arrest eight suspected ISIS-linked terrorists in multi-city sting operations
The Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS) includes: The identity of the terroristOriginally it only included known or suspected terrorists (KSTs), but now it also includes additional individuals who pose a “potential threat to the United States, including known associates of individuals on watch lists.”
The southern border has seen record numbers of migrant encounters since the Biden administration took office in 2021, and concerns about potential terrorists have risen as the crisis continues. There has also been a significant increase in watch list encounters, with the committee’s report finding encounters have increased by more than 3,000%.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Migrants who crossed the US-Mexico border are processed by US Border Patrol near Jacumba Hot Springs on June 13, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)
The Biden administration has blamed Republicans for not providing enough funding and reforms to a “dysfunctional” system, while Republicans argue the crisis is the result of Democratic administrations rolling back Trump-era policies.
But officials are warning of the risk of terrorists trying to sneak in through the southern border, as the Department of Homeland Security identified more than 400 people who had been brought to the U.S. from Eastern Europe and Central Asia by ISIS-linked smuggling networks in the past few months.
Amid heightened fears after ISIS arrests, ICE warns about what migrants can’t bring to border
This comes after eight Tajik nationals with ties to ISIS were arrested by federal authorities in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. All eight entered the country illegally through the southern border, but no adverse information was reported during the process, officials told Fox.
For more coverage on the border security crisis, click here
Of the eight Tajik nationals, three were released after scheduling appointments using the CBP One phone app, while four were apprehended by the Border Patrol, according to the Judiciary Committee report.
“American communities are already feeling the disastrous impacts of the Biden-Harris Administration’s immigration policies, but the worst may yet be yet to come,” the staff interim report argues.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“As national security experts and immigration officials become increasingly concerned about terrorism threats emanating from the border, it is clear that policymakers must take all necessary steps to secure the border and stop the influx of illegal immigrants. Yet the Biden-Harris Administration refuses to address the national security nightmare created by its radical open border policies,” the report said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security.
Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
