“Every single year, every single year, we encounter individuals who pose a threat to public safety, and this is not unique to this administration,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on CNN This Morning on Wednesday, in response to the arrests of eight Tajik nationals with suspected ties to ISIS who crossed the border. “In fact, this administration has seen the various agencies and departments of the federal government working more collaboratively and more effectively to conduct more rigorous vetting and background checks than we’ve ever done before.”
Co-host Kate Bolduan asked, “One of the things I’m very interested in, and what’s been getting a lot of coverage, is these eight Tajik nationals who were arrested this month. They crossed the southern border into the United States last year and are believed to have ties to ISIS. Federal authorities have not made public why agents believe these men may be involved in terrorism and felt the need to pursue and arrest them. It appears that investigation is still ongoing. They haven’t been charged. But how real was the threat, Mr. Secretary?”
Mayorkas responded: “Kate, it is our responsibility, our highest responsibility, to keep the American people safe and secure. The fine folks at Homeland Security do that every day. We screen individuals we encounter at the border, verify their identities. Then, if we have information that gives us cause for concern, we take law enforcement action. That’s exactly what we’ve done in this case, and we’ve sought the removal of these individuals. They are currently in custody and are being processed.”
Bolduin then asked, “But why doesn’t this fact, this situation and others, support and bolster the criticism of the Biden administration that the border is not secure?”
Mayorkas responded: “Kate, every single year, we encounter individuals who pose a threat to public safety. This is not unique to this Administration. When I was Deputy Secretary, when I was Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and when I was a federal prosecutor for 12 years in the 1990s, we encountered individuals of concern and took enforcement action. This is not unusual. In fact, under this Administration, various agencies and departments across the federal enterprise are working more collaboratively and effectively, and we are conducting more rigorous vetting and investigations than ever before. The safety and security of the American people is our number one priority. These individuals are in custody and are in the process of being removed from the United States.”
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