Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data updated on Friday indicates that the number of illegal migrants on the terror watchlist apprehended by Border Patrol in the first two months of the fiscal year 2024 could set a new record.
So far, Border Patrol has documented 31 illegal migrants on the terror watchlist in the fiscal year 2024, with 13 of these apprehensions occurring in October. Comparatively, Border Patrol recorded 172, 98, and 16 encounters with migrants on the watchlist in fiscal years 2023, 2022, and 2021 respectively, as per federal data.
Following the terrorist attack on civilians in Israel on October 7, federal authorities issued a warning to Border Patrol to be vigilant for potential terrorists from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah attempting to cross the southern border illegally. This information was revealed in an internal memo exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
In a statement, CBP emphasized the rarity of encountering watchlisted individuals at the borders, highlighting the crucial role of CBP Agents and Officers. "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 stated.
CBP further explained that watchlisted individuals who are apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) after entering the country illegally may be detained and removed under CBP policy, or handed over to another government agency for further detention or law enforcement action, as deemed appropriate.
The rise in encounters with terror watchlisted migrants coincides with record levels of illegal immigration. Federal data reveals that Border Patrol recorded over 2 million encounters with migrants entering the U.S. illegally in fiscal year 2023, and over 2.2 million in fiscal year 2022.
This data underscores the increasing challenges faced by Border Patrol in managing illegal immigration and maintaining national security.
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