In March 2023, according to an internal federal memo, federal authorities caught a terrorist illegally crossing the southern border, then shortly thereafter released him into the country, where he stayed before he was arrested recently in Minnesota.
The terrorist, who was determined in mid-January 2024 to be a “confirmed member of al-Shabaab” by the Terrorist Screening Center, was initially considered a “mismatch” after his name was examined through the terror watchlist, The Daily Caller reported. On January 20, he was caught in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“People have been released prior to completed records checks being returned on a subject,” an ICE official admitted. “Which would not allow proper processing and placement of a potential terrorist once those results were known.”
Al-Shabaab was named a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department in March 2008. The group pledged loyalty to al-Qaeda in 2012. According to the Counter-Terrorism Guide for the Director of National Intelligence, “Since 2014 al-Shabaab has killed more US citizens than any other al Qa’ida affiliate, and as of 2022, was its wealthiest component.”
“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 told The Daily Caller. “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 continued. “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.”