While urging Americans to remember the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, top Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee are urging vigilance over threats facing the country due to “open-border policies” pushed during the Biden administration. 
The lawmakers are calling for a resolute commitment to border security after a massive surge in individuals on the terror watchlist crossing the border under former President Joe Biden. The lawmakers praised the Trump administration for its actions to lock down the border.
“As a lifelong New Yorker, &#8216;Never Forget&#8217; is more than a phrase of remembrance for me; it is a call to action,” committee Chair Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) told The Daily Wire. “Today, as we honor the nearly 3,000 innocent lives taken by al Qaeda terrorists on 9/11, we also reaffirm our commitment to DHS&#8217;s core counterterrorism mission. Our nation still faces heightened and evolving threats more than two decades after 9/11, particularly following four years of open-border policies.”
From the start of fiscal year 2021 to the end of Biden’s presidency, border patrol agents encountered around 400 individuals on the terror watchlist at the border. At least 2 million illegals who were known “gotaways” entered the country in that same period. From 2017-2020, only 14 individuals on the terror watchlist were apprehended at the border, <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/December-24-SS.pdf">according</a> to the committee. 
These threats have come from a variety of countries. It was previously <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2025/06/26/homeland-republicans-applaud-house-passage-of-rep-greenes-special-interest-alien-reporting-act/">reported</a> that Biden released into the country around 50% of the 1,504 Iranian nationals who were stopped at the border during his presidency. Over the summer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-arrests-tajikistan-born-russian-national-foreign-fugitive-suspected-being-member">arrested</a> a Tajikistani national suspected of being a member of al Qaeda. The man crossed the border and was released under Biden. 
Garbarino will be leading a visit of Homeland Security members to Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum on Thursday. He praised the work of federal, state, and local law enforcement to protect American communities. 
&#8220;These brave men and women deserve our continued support as they put their lives on the line every day. Alongside the Trump administration, the House Committee on Homeland Security is working to keep our borders secure for years to come — because border security is national security,&#8221; he said. 
Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger told The Daily Wire that the Biden administration’s “reckless open-border policies” led to “blinking red” danger to our security. 
“While President Trump’s Administration has taken strong, decisive action to identify and deport many of these individuals, an unsettling truth remains, we still don’t know how many terrorists may have slipped through the cracks under President Biden’s watch and are now living among us,” he said.

Former President Biden Speaks at ACRD Conference in Chicago

On 9/11, Republicans Warn About Lingering Danger From Biden’s ‘Open-Border Policies’

9/11

border security

House Committee on Homeland Security

Joe Biden

Terrorism

Crossings over the treacherous landbridge that connects South and Central America, called the Darien Gap, have plummeted to near-zero amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
The Darien Gap, which connects Colombia and Panama, witnessed hundreds of thousands of migrants traveling north through it in 2023 during the Biden administration. But <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/30/migrant-traffic-darien-gap-panama-trump">just 10 migrants</a> traveled north through the dangerous stretch of jungle in June, marking a stunning drop after six months of the Trump administration.
The Department of Homeland Security celebrated the precipitous decline in crossings through the Darien Gap.
“In Panama&#8217;s Darien Gap, migrants are turning BACK before they even reach our border — only 10 migrants crossed in June,&#8221; DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, adding that the new figures amount to more than a 99.8% drop from migration through the region under the Biden administration. &#8220;The world is hearing our message that America&#8217;s borders are closed to lawbreakers.&#8221;
The figures come as migrant encounters on the southern border of the United States continue to drop dramatically, with officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/border-patrol-saw-fewer-migrant-encounters-last-month-than-one-single-day-under-biden-homan-says?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=28&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Border+Patrol+Saw+Fewer+Migrant+Encounters+Last+Month+Than+One+Single+Day+Under+Biden%2C+Homan+Says">recording fewer encounters</a> in the month of June than were seen in single days under the Biden administration.
Not only are migrants not traveling through the jungle passageway — which is replete with alligators and snakes — many even turned around and went south through the region at the start of President Donald Trump’s term.
Colombia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/latin-american-country-sees-massive-drop-in-migration-attributes-decline-to-trump-border-policies">witnessed</a> a drastic increase in the number of migrants crossing back into the narrow stretch of jungle toward their home countries in South America earlier this year. The nation recorded just under 10,000 people crossing back south from January to February, a significant increase from the previous year, when just over 4,000 returned south from the Darien Gap.
The Colombian government issued a report indicating that the new trend was the result of the Trump administration’s border security policies. “The majority of migrants indicate they come from Mexico, where they had been waiting for an appointment with U.S. authorities for one to three months,” the report noted before going on to say “with the change in U.S. immigration policies, they made the decision to return.”
Panamanian President Jose Mulino asserted in March that his administration would not allow migrants to cross into the Darien Gap and ordered the closure of sites to assist migrants in their northward trek.

Darien Gap

Migrant Crossings Of Infamous Darien Gap Plummet To Near-Zero

Border

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

mass immigration

Trump Administration

World

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to receive a massive influx of funding thanks to the passage of the One Big Beautiful Act, giving the agency a budget that exceeds every federal law enforcement agency, including the FBI.
“President Trump’s signing the One Big Beautiful Bill is a win for law and order and the safety and security of the American people,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/07/04/secretary-noem-commends-president-trump-and-one-big-beautiful-bill-signing-law">said</a>. “This $165 billion in funding will help the Department of Homeland Security and our brave law enforcement further deliver on President Trump’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens.”
That sum includes roughly $75 billion for ICE — additional funding on top of the agency&#8217;s baseline budget, which hovers around <a href="https://time.com/7299360/big-beautiful-bill-trump-ice-immigration/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">$10 billion</a> per year. That additional funding, which is earmarked for hiring agents, creating new detention space, and funding removal operations, translates to an annual funding of more than $25 billion per year through fiscal year 2029. The sum eclipses the $11.3 billion in <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/speeches-and-testimony/a-review-of-the-president-s-fiscal-year-2025-budget-request-for-the-federal-bureau-of-investigation">funding</a> requested by the FBI for fiscal year 2025.
The bill empowers ICE to drastically increase the number of agents on its payroll, putting it closer to its goal of 1 million deportations per year. The law enforcement agency currently has 20,000 agents and support personnel in 400 different offices across the country. With the new funding, another 10,000 could be hired, marking a drastic, 50% increase in agents and support personnel.
Just under <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/03/immigration-spending-increases-trump-big-beautiful-bill">$30 billion</a> has been earmarked for hiring, training, and agent retention, as well as for the modernization of the agency’s vehicles.
The legislation also grants ICE a whopping <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/us/politics/trump-administration-immigrant-detention-facilities-services.html">$45 billion</a> to increase its illegal alien detention capacity over the next two years, a key component in the effort to deport millions of illegal aliens.
That funding will allow ICE to reach agreements with contractors who will construct detention facilities and provide security, medical care, and transportation as the agency aims to create an unprecedented number of detention spots for illegal aliens. The bill, according to the Department of Homeland Security, will allow ICE to secure 80,000 new detention beds and allow the federal agency to maintain an average daily population of 100,000 illegal aliens in detention at any given time.
The bill allocates another $14.4 billion to fund “removal transportation,” like deportation flights back to illegal aliens’ countries of origin or to willing “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-secures-victory-in-scotus-ruling-enabling-more-deportations?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=17&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Secures+Victory+In+SCOTUS+Ruling+Enabling+More+Deportations">third countries</a>” that agree to accept deportees from the United States.
The legislation also aims to bolster border security, notably allocating $46.5 billion to complete the border wall. The effort marks a drastic shift from the previous administration, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-biden-races-to-sell-off-border-wall-parts-before-trump-takes-office">auctioned off</a> pieces of the border wall for pennies on the dollar just after Trump won the election.
It also grants $3.2 billion for new technology along the border and another $2.7 billion for autonomous border surveillance tech. Customs and Border Protection will, like ICE, be granted funding to hire new agents. That money will allow the agency to hire 3,000 new Border Patrol agents as well as another 3,000 customs officers. Another $855 million will be used to modernize Customs and Border Protection&#8217;s vehicle fleet.

ICE Agents

ICE Will Soon Get More Money Than The FBI, Have Capacity For A Million Annual Deportations

Department of Homeland Se

deportation

Kristi Noem

Trump

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, from the boots on the ground to Acting Director Todd Lyons, are cheering the passage of President Donald Trump&#8217;s long-touted One Big, Beautiful Bill, saying that it will direct &#8220;long overdue&#8221; support to their efforts to secure the border and expel criminal illegals.
Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin shared a post on X including a few of the initial reactions from his sources at ICE.
&#8220;I asked ICE contacts for reaction to OBBB passing w/ massive ICE money,&#8221; he posted. &#8220;Some responses: &#8216;LFG!!! This is long overdue and will give us the resources to ramp it up and give the American people what they voted for. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8217;; &#8216;This ensures that ICE is the tip of the spear to make America safe again.&#8217;; &#8216;This administration has been fighting non stop to give the law enforcement agents in these dangerous sanctuary communities the tools we need to complete the mission.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: I asked ICE contacts for reaction to OBBB passing w/ massive ICE money. Some responses:
“LFG!!! This is long overdue and will give us the resources to ramp it up and give the American people what they voted for. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
“This ensures…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1940845602566557839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Lyons issued an official statement a short time later, offering a similar sentiment.
&#8220;I speak on behalf of the entire agency when I say that ICE is grateful to President Trump for putting in the hard work necessary to get the Big Beautiful Bill across the finish line &#8211; but the real win is for the American people. The unprecedented funding for ICE will enable my hard-working officers and agents to continue making America safe again by identifying, arresting and removing criminal aliens from our communities,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;I’m thrilled to work with Secretary Noem, Congress and the president to protect our families, friends and neighbors.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-2388">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I speak on behalf of the entire agency when I say that ICE is grateful to President Trump for putting in the hard work necessary to get the Big Beautiful Bill across the finish line &#8211; but the real win is for the American people. The unprecedented funding for ICE will enable my… <a href="https://t.co/mA5hL4Htu4">pic.twitter.com/mA5hL4Htu4</a>
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICEgov/status/1940856961102405740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also released a statement on the bill&#8217;s passage, saying, &#8220;Today’s passage of the Big Beautiful Bill is a win for law and order and the safety and security of the American people. This $165 billion in funding will help DHS and our brave law enforcement further deliver on President Trump’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Thank you President Trump!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: DHS Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a> statement to <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> as the One Big Beautiful Bill has PASSED and is now headed to President Trump’s desk.
“Today’s passage of the Big Beautiful Bill is a win for law and order and the safety and security of the American people. This $165…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1940841026182345125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

US-IMMIGRATION-ICE

ICE Agents Celebrate One Big, Beautiful Bill: ‘LFG!!! This Is Long Overdue’

Donald Trump

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

U.S.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt lit up The Washington Post during Tuesday&#8217;s briefing, shining a spotlight on what she called &#8220;one of the most ridiculous headlines ever&#8221; on the topic of drug seizures at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The article she highlighted was headlined, &#8220;The mysterious drop in fentanyl seizures on the U.S.-Mexico border,&#8221; and it purported to outline the &#8220;complex&#8221; reasons behind the fact that fentanyl seizures had plummeted in recent weeks. Leavitt argued that the reasons were neither complex nor mysterious, saying, as President Donald Trump has, that it could all be chalked up as the obvious result of the American people electing a different president.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> slams the Fake News Washington Post: &#8220;There is no mystery about why there is a decrease of fentanyl coming into the United States. This Administration&#8217;s strong border policies are the reason!&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/RJlWO7EyWp">pic.twitter.com/RJlWO7EyWp</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1929951219130221006?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The Washington Post just ran one of the most ridiculous headlines ever — even by their standards,&#8221; Leavitt began. &#8220;And on my very first briefing, several months ago, I said I would hold anyone accountable in this room. The Washington Post actually had this headline: &#8216;The mysterious drop in fentanyl seizures on the U.S.-Mexico border.'&#8221;
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&#8220;How is this mysterious?&#8221; Leavitt asked. &#8220;There is no mystery about why there is a decrease in fentanyl coming into the United States. This administration&#8217;s strong border policies are the reason there has been a decrease in fentanyl trafficking. [Trump&#8217;s] strengthened relationship with Mexican President Sheinbaum and all of the measures he has been taking to deter illegal human and drug trafficking at our United States southern border is the reason for plummeting fentanyl seizures at the U.S. border. There is nothing mysterious about that, and we&#8217;d like to see The Washington Post update their headline accordingly.&#8221;
Leavitt went on to say that the White House had provided WaPo with a lengthy list of the Trump administration policies that had brought about the drop in fentanyl seizures at the border, but that the outlet had refused to include them.
&#8220;This [is] clearly trying to intentionally manipulate the minds of the – Americans — and I think the American people understand why there&#8217;s been a fentanyl drop,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;That&#8217;s despicable.&#8221;

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

‘There Is No Mystery’: Karoline Leavitt Lights Up WaPo Over ‘Ridiculous’ Fentanyl Headline

'There Is No Mystery': Karoline Leavitt Lights Up WaPo Over 'Ridiculous' Fentanyl Headline

Drugs

Fentanyl

Karoline Leavitt

Media

Mexico

Politics

Washington Post

Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made it clear on Friday that he had absolutely zero interest in discussing the recently-secured state of the United States-Mexico border.
Mayorkas, when confronted at an airport by The Blaze national correspondent Julio Rosas, made every effort instead to beat a hasty retreat rather than answer questions about the fact that the border — which was open by design during his tenure as part of President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration — has been largely secured since the day President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
National Correspondent <a href="https://twitter.com/Julio_Rosas11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Julio_Rosas11</a> asked former DHS Secretary Mayorkas about President Trump securing the southern border: <a href="https://t.co/FFr2T8Prkm">pic.twitter.com/FFr2T8Prkm</a>
&mdash; TheBlaze (@theblaze) <a href="https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1908252766742732861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Mayorkas seemed approachable enough at first, saying it was &#8220;a pleasure&#8221; and offering a hand to shake as Rosas introduced himself and stated that he was with Blaze media.
&#8220;I just wanted to ask you how it feels to see —&#8221; Rosas had not even gotten his first question out before Mayorkas waved him off, saying, &#8220;Not right now.&#8221;
&#8220;— that the United States has a secure border now that President Trump is in office, as opposed to when you were Secretary of Homeland Security,&#8221; Rosas finished, and Mayorkas kept walking.
Mayorkas kept his mouth shut as Rosas followed up by asking whether he had &#8220;any regrets&#8221; with regard to allowing the border to remain open, especially given the new data that says under Trump&#8217;s DHS, &#8220;border crossings are down 95%.&#8221;
&#8220;Do you regret allowing Tren de Aragua to gain a foothold in the United States?&#8221; Rosas asked, but again, Mayorkas remained silent. &#8220;Do you have anything to say, sir, about your time as Homeland Security Secretary? facilitating an open border?&#8221;
The former DHS chief boarded an escalator, but Rosas met him at the bottom with another question: &#8220;I mean, it was a big issue, sir, that&#8217;s one of the reasons why President Trump won re-election. You don&#8217;t have anything to say about it?&#8221;
Rosas went on to ask whether Mayorkas had regrets about the thousands of migrant children the Biden administration had &#8220;lost track of&#8221; after they came into the United States — and whether he had anything to say about the fact that lax policies under his tenure had actually helped to increase widespread support for the mass deportations Trump promised and had already begun to deliver.
Mayorkas still said nothing, and exited the airport.

Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas Joins White House Daily Press Briefing

WATCH: Biden DHS Sec Bravely … Runs Away When Confronted Over Border He Never Secured

WATCH: Biden DHS Sec. Bravely ... Runs Away When Confronted Over Border He Never Secured

Alejandro Mayorkas

Border Crisis

Department of Homeland Security

A new Republican House bill would prevent illegal aliens from ever attaining citizenship, creating a new deterrent to illegal immigration into the United States.
The legislation, called the “No Citizenship for Alien Invaders Act,” was proposed by Representative Cory Mills (R-FL) and seeks to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 to state that “no alien who enters the United States unlawfully shall be eligible for naturalization.”
“Under the Biden administration, we saw more than 10 million encounters at our borders, a crisis exacerbated by reckless catch-and-release policies that allowed criminals who broke our laws to remain in the United States,” Mills <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/03/27/us-news/house-gop-bill-would-bar-illegal-entrants-to-us-from-ever-getting-citizenship/">charged</a>. “President Trump has made it clear that anyone that tries to unlawfully undermine, exploit, or bypass our immigration system is a criminal.”
The legislation is also being co-sponsored by Reps. Josh Breechen (R-OK), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and Andy Harris (R-MD). The Republicans say they hope to get the legislation to the president&#8217;s desk by Memorial Day.
“America is a nation of laws, and if we allow those laws to be subverted by illegal aliens who have no constitutional right to be here in the first place, then we will cease to be a nation,” Breechen stated.
The new legislation is the latest move from House Republicans to attempt to deter migrants from illegally entering the United States. Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) proposed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-congressman-to-introduce-bill-limiting-birthright-citizenship-bolster-trump-executive-order">legislation</a> in January that would end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens, a move that the Congressman said would end “birth tourism.”
“It’s going to have a huge impact on our immigration system because it’s going to close loopholes that exploit birthright citizenship, and discourage illegal immigration and end the misuse of this really, this completely misinterpreted privilege,” Babin also said when he announced his legislation.
That bill came just after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that also sought to end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens. That order has since been embroiled in a legal battle.
Illegal border crossings have plummeted during the first months of the new Trump administration, with Vice President JD Vance visiting the southern border earlier this month to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vance-does-victory-lap-at-border-all-it-took-was-a-new-president">celebrate</a> a “98 percent reduction of border crossings.”

Rep. Cory Mills

New Bill Would Bar Illegal Aliens From Ever Becoming American Citizens

Deportations

Southern Border

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during an interview over the weekend that America&#8217;s enemies are flooding the country&#8217;s streets with fentanyl in — part because they are trying to kill Americans.
Noem made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan while talking about President Donald Trump&#8217;s efforts to stop the flow of drugs coming into the U.S.
She said that the Trump&#8217;s tariffs on Canada and Mexico were really about fentanyl, not just the economy.
&#8220;I think the president obviously wants a strong economy, obviously wants better trade deals as well,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But this is about fentanyl and what we can do to stop the cartels from partnering with Chinese officials, laundering money and bringing a poison into our country that is specifically designed to kill the next generation.&#8221;
&#8220;I think a lot of people don&#8217;t understand the strategy of these enemies of the United States and what they&#8217;re utilizing,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;They are bringing this in, not just to make money. They&#8217;re bringing it in here to kill Americans. And it&#8217;s time that we stand up for the people that live here and make sure that we&#8217;re stopping this war against our children.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump&#8217;s decision to hit Canada with tariffs &#8220;really is about fentanyl,&#8221; says Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
&#8220;The president obviously wants a strong economy, obviously wants better trade deals as well,&#8221; she says. &#8220;But this is about fentanyl.&#8221;
She says… <a href="https://t.co/WCahvBGzwQ">pic.twitter.com/WCahvBGzwQ</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1898763012019741021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></blockquote>

Nominees For Deputy DHS Secretary And Deputy OMB Director Testify In Senate Hearing

Noem: America’s Enemies Intentionally Bring Fentanyl To U.S. ‘To Kill Americans’

There was a time in my life when I lived in the shadow of terror — not just as a distant observer, but as someone who felt its grip firsthand. I was born into a world where radical Islam was not just a belief system, but a way of life — a force that dictated what I could wear, how I could think, who I could marry, and whether I lived or died. I have seen the face of oppression up close. I have felt the cold breath of death whispering lies of hopelessness into my soul.
And yet, by God’s grace, I escaped. I ran from that life and stepped onto foreign soil, hoping to leave the nightmare behind. But the nightmare was not confined to one land, it has followed me. It has followed us all.
I came to America believing I had reached a place of true freedom — a nation that stood tall in the face of tyranny. Today, however, the more I watch, the more I realize America is sleeping.
I see the same signs I saw growing up. I recognize the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/radical-islams-long-game-of-propaganda-in-the-west-is-over-because-of-trump">rhetoric</a>, the infiltration, and the subtle shift in public sentiment that paves the way for radical ideologies to take root. America needs to wake up.
<h3>Telltale Signs Of Radical Infiltration</h3>
I spent years brainwashed by radical Islam — a system that taught me to see the world through the lens of hatred, victimhood, and power. And now, I see the same toxic poison seeping into the West.
The warning signs are clear:
<ul>
<li>Weaponized victimhood: Radical groups manipulate emotions to justify violence. They claim oppression while seeking to destroy the very system that offers them refuge.</li>
<li>The rise of anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric: This is no accident. College campuses, media outlets, and even political leaders amplify messages that erode national unity and biblical truth.</li>
<li>Propaganda disguised as tolerance: What begins as an appeal for “understanding” slowly turns into a demand for compliance.</li>
</ul>
This is not speculation. I have witnessed this same strategy destroy nations. I have watched entire governments bow down to ideologies that despise them, only to be consumed by the very monster they tried to appease.
<h3>Why The Resistance To Border Security?</h3>
Why is there such a backlash against strengthening America’s borders? The answer is simple: When light is shined into darkness, the enemy panics.
In the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2028&amp;version=NIV">book of Acts</a>, the Bible shares a story about the Apostle Paul becoming shipwrecked on the island of Malta. When Paul gathers wood and builds a fire, a hidden viper lunges and bites his hand. The fire exposed what had been hidden — a deadly, silent enemy, slithering beneath the surface. This is exactly what is happening today.
When leadership enforces stricter immigration policies, the vipers slither out, <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/voices/hamas-mask-slips-evil-exposed-with-israeli-hostage-returns.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealing their true colors</a>. When corruption is called out, the ones who benefit from it are the loudest in their opposition.
For too long, our enemies have gleefully watched America, knowing we were too distracted, too divided, too passive to see what was happening right in front of us. The moment we begin to take action, however, they cry out in rage.
Make no mistake: they are afraid because they know their time is running out.
<h3>The Cost Of Weak Immigration Policies</h3>
I know what it’s like to be a desperate immigrant seeking freedom. I also know what it’s like to live in a nation destroyed by lawlessness.
America’s weak and lawless immigration policies have:
<ul>
<li>Allowed radical jihadists to walk freely into our cities</li>
<li>Enabled human trafficking and child exploitation at unprecedented levels</li>
<li>Weakened national identity, making Americans question national patriotism</li>
<li>Provided sanctuary for those who seek to destroy us from within</li>
</ul>
This is not about hate. This is not about closing doors to the needy. This is about preserving a nation that was built on biblical values and protecting the people who call it home. If we do not act now, we may not recognize America in 10 years.
<h3>What Must Be Done?</h3>
Many Americans do not recognize the warning signs because they have never lived under a radical regime. America cannot afford to remain blind any longer. It is time for stronger border security. It is not racist or unloving to protect our home.
It is also time for American Christians to take a stand. This is not just a political battle; it is spiritual warfare. It&#8217;s time for the Church to wake up. Yes, Christians are called to love the foreigner, but we are also called to protect our borders and to stand for righteousness, even when the world calls us intolerant. We are called to expose darkness, not coexist with it.
As the Apostle Paul <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians%205&amp;version=NIV">wrote</a>, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” This is our moment. The fire has been lit. The vipers are being exposed.
The battle for America’s soul is not over. The question is: Will we fight? Or will we simply go back to sleep?
* * *
Işik Abla is the President and CEO of <a href="http://isikabla.com/">Işik Abla Ministries</a> (IAM). Abla was born in Turkey and raised as a Muslim. She eventually fled to America. Işık Abla Ministries leverages the power of TV and radio broadcasting, social media, and innovation to preach the Gospel in Turkish, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Indonesian, and English.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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America Can’t Ignore The Warning Signs Of Radicalization

America Can't Ignore The Warning Signs Of Radicalization

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Republicans in the Senate <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-border-budget-triumphs-after-all-night-session-while-trump-backed-house-bill-lags">passed a $340 billion budget resolution</a> in the early hours of Friday morning, a narrower resolution than the broad-based bill House Republicans are preparing, but still one that pleased President Donald Trump after an all-night session.
The bill, which passed 52-48, focuses on three issues: immigration and border security, defense, and shoring up development of fossil fuels. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the only Republican to vote against the measure, joining all of the Senate Democrats in opposition. Other issues that the House wants to include, such as tax cuts, the Senate plans to add later, figuring that if the House — where the GOP holds a slim 218-215 majority — cannot agree on extending Trump’s tax cuts the three issues will be addressed immediately.
“This particular budget resolution… addresses the president’s priority, top priority, which is securing the border and implementing and putting in place his immigration policies, rebuilding our military, and creating energy dominance for this country,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said before the vote was taken.
Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/21/senate-passes-republican-border-security-bill/79409346007/">stated</a> after the bill passed, &#8220;As Senate Budget Committee Chairman, I’m incredibly pleased by the discipline shown by my Senate Republican colleagues to ensure that the most transformational border security bill in history can soon become a reality. I hope we can get one big, beautiful bill in the House, but we need to act on border security and national security now. We&#8217;re running out of time.”
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“Nothing would please me more than Speaker Johnson being able to put together the bill that President Trump wants,” Graham <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/senate-democrats-use-budget-vote-to-make-republicans-squirm-8937a656">added</a>. “But I cannot sit on the sidelines and not have a Plan B. This nation is under threat—the illegal immigrants who have come here by the millions need to be sent back by the millions.”
Trump had approved the House bill earlier this week, but he praised the Senate GOP, saying on Truth Social, “Thank you to Majority Leader John Thune, and the Republican Senate, for working so hard on funding the Trump Border Agenda. We are setting records, the likes of which have never been seen before, on stopping criminal illegal aliens from entering our Country. Put simply, we are delivering for the American People, far faster and, more successfully, than anyone thought possible. Your work on funding this effort is greatly appreciated!”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-big-beautiful-bill-trump-endorses-house-budget-plan-over-the-lindsey-graham-version">&#8216;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8217;: Trump Endorses House Budget Plan Over &#8216;The Lindsey Graham Version&#8217;</a>

Senators Hold Weekly Policy Luncheons At The Capitol

Senate Passes Late-Night Budget Bill Focused On Border, Defense Spending

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President Donald Trump is proving how serious he is about targeting the Mexican drug cartels that he has designated as terrorist organizations, as the U.S. military is reportedly using high-tech spy planes to monitor the southern border.
At least 18 missions have been flown over the southwestern U.S. and around the Baja California Peninsula in the past two weeks, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/10/politics/us-spy-planes-mexican-drug-cartels/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Eleven of the flights used Navy P-8s, and one used the famed U-2 spy plane initially used to spy on the former Soviet Union.
“I think the cartels would be foolish to take on the military, but we know they’ve taken on the Mexican military before. But now we have the United States military,” border czar Tom Homan stated last week. “Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely, because the cartels are making record amounts of money.”
In late December, Mexico’s leftist president seemingly attempted to take away any chance Trump could order the use of military force against the infamous drug cartels that control much of Mexico and traffic lethal drugs across the American border. President Claudia Sheinbaum <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/trump-mexico-drug-cartel-fentanyl-us-military-fb9f193c?mod=hp_lead_pos4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> a news conference, “There won’t be an invasion. It’s not going to happen.”
Trump had said, “All foreign gang members will be expelled and I will immediately designate the [drug] cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. I will do so immediately.”
Trump’s choice for national security advisor, hard-core conservative Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), <a href="https://waltz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=659">co-</a><a href="https://waltz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> legislation in January 2023 calling for an “Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Mexican cartels for trafficking lethal fentanyl and other related activities that have caused destabilization in the Western Hemisphere.”
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Defense Secretary, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-invasion-mexico-cartels-rejected-165339125.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the cartels are “terrorist-like organizations poisoning our population. &#8230; If it takes military action, that’s what it may take, eventually. Obviously, you’re gonna have to be smart about it. Obviously, the precision strikes. But if you put the fear in the minds of the drug lords, at least as a start, [and] they can’t operate in the open with impunity, [it] changes the way they operate.”
Last October, a news report revealed that the brutal Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico had &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13980989/mexican-cartels-border-patrol-agents-biden-harris-migrant-crisis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">given permission&#8221;</a> for its members to fire at U.S. Border Patrol agents. An internal memo was transmitted to federal agents in the El Paso Sector warning the agents of the new danger, <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/drug-cartels-permission-shoot-border-patrol-agents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NewsNation</a> reported.

U-2 Spy Plane Surveillance

Trump Dead Serious About Border: U.S. Military Using High-Tech Spy Planes To Watch Cartels

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There was apparently some truth to President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-jokes-that-hell-send-90k-irs-workers-to-the-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quip</a> last month about sending Internal Revenue Service (IRS) workers to the southern U.S. border to help with deportation efforts.
Trump&#8217;s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to deputize some law-enforcement workers, including criminal investigators from the IRS, to help with immigration efforts, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-irs-officers-ice-deportations-ed87c4b5?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal.
IRS criminal investigators often carry firearms and can make arrests. They currently investigate tax return preparer fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and identity theft schemes, among other crimes, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/program-and-emphasis-areas-for-irs-criminal-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the IRS website.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem asked Bessent to provide agents who would help investigate financial flows involving human-trafficking networks and businesses that employ illegal immigrants in a memo dated February 7, the Journal reported. The agents could help arrest, detain, and transport criminal illegals.
Last month, Trump appeared to joke that new IRS agents could be sent to help with deportation efforts at the border. In 2021, former President Joe Biden approved the hiring of nearly 87,000 IRS full-time employees by 2031.
“They hired, or tried to hire, 88,000 workers to go after you and we’re in the process of developing a plan to either terminate all of them, or maybe we’ll move them to the border,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-jokes-that-hell-send-90k-irs-workers-to-the-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> supporters gathered at the Circa Resort &amp; Casino in Las Vegas.
“I think we’re going to move them to the border where they are allowed to carry guns,&#8221; he added. &#8220;You know, they’re so strong on guns. But these people are allowed to carry guns. So we will probably move them to the border.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Trump suggests sending IRS agents to the border <a href="https://t.co/ljTsu78o1I">https://t.co/ljTsu78o1I</a> <a href="https://t.co/1HyeL9HCr7">pic.twitter.com/1HyeL9HCr7</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1883531902323511376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump promised Americans on the campaign trail that he would work to deport illegal immigrants, starting with those who&#8217;ve committed crimes in addition to illegally crossing the U.S. border.
The administration has moved quickly on that promise. During the first 18 days of Trump&#8217;s second presidential term, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) racked up 11,000 illegal immigrant arrests, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-jokes-that-hell-send-90k-irs-workers-to-the-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
The administration has also shut down the controversial Biden-era CBP One app, and DHS has moved to repeal limits on ICE agents, allowing the agents to more freely find and detain illegals.

Donald Trump Hosts Hispanic Roundtable In Nevada

Trump Wasn’t Joking: Some IRS Workers To Help With Deportation, Report Says

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