Border Patrol agents arrested more illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist in October than over the course of three years under the Trump administration, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data updated Tuesday.
Border Patrol recorded 13 encounters of individuals on the terror watchlist at both the northern and southern borders of the U.S. in October alone, according to the data. Encounters of illegal immigrants on the terror watchlist between fiscal years 2018 and 2020, during most of Donald Trump’s presidency, added up to 12. (RELATED: Southern Border Sees More Migrant Encounters In September Than Ever Before)
A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa June 29, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer
“Encounters of watchlisted individuals at our borders are very uncommon, underscoring the critical work CBP Agents and Officers carry out every day on the frontlines. DHS works tirelessly to secure our borders through a combination of highly trained personnel, ground and aerial monitoring systems, and robust intelligence and information sharing networks,” CBP says of its encounters with individuals on the terror watchlist.
“SDS watchlisted individuals encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) after entering the country without inspection may be detained and removed, to the extent possible under CBP policy, or turned over to another government agency for subsequent detention or law enforcement action, as appropriate,” CBP adds.
Following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, federal authorities warned Border Patrol to keep watch for Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah terrorists possibly crossing into the U.S. via the southern border, according to an internal memo exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
In all of fiscal year 2023, Border Patrol recorded 172 encounters of illegal migrants whose names appeared on the watchlist, according to federal data. There were also 98 encounters of watchlisted individuals in fiscal year 2022 and 16 in fiscal year 2021.
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