A concerning new report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has revealed a serious lapse in border security that allowed a suspected terrorist to roam freely in the United States for two weeks after being released by accident.
This incident is part of the larger issue of an unprecedented number of undocumented immigrants crossing the border during President Joe Biden’s time in office, including individuals who are on the terrorist watch list. The report has raised alarm bells and a former official is now warning about the dangers facing America.
The OIG report, released on June 28 by Inspector General Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari, highlights the release of a migrant who was positively identified as a match to someone on the terrorist watch list by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center (TSC).
The report concludes that this release occurred due to the ineffective practices and processes of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in resolving inconclusive matches with the watchlist, leading to multiple mistakes.
According to the report, CBP also made a critical error by sending an interview request email to the wrong address for the person on the watchlist. Once the mistake was realized, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prioritized the suspect’s arrest.
New Report: “CBP Released a Migrant on a Terrorist Watchlist, and ICE Faced Information Sharing Challenges Planning and Conducting the Arrest (REDACTED)” https://t.co/9P1QzHK5hO— DHS Office of Inspector General (@DHSOIG) July 5, 2023
However, it took two weeks to apprehend the individual, during which time ICE encountered various challenges within its Enforcement and Removal Operations.
In response to the report, Mark Morgan, the former acting commissioner of CBP, expressed deep concerns during an appearance on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast.
He described the OIG report as a “huge black eye” for US counterterrorism officials and accused the Biden administration of prioritizing the quick processing and release of illegal aliens instead of securing the border.
Morgan warned that there could be a “terrorist sleeper cell” planning the next attack within the country, unbeknownst to the government. He emphasized that the purpose of the FBI watchlist is to prevent another tragedy like the September 11 attacks, but the current handling of immigration is facilitating the potential for such events to occur.
The OIG report and Morgan’s remarks highlight the urgent need for enhanced border security measures and effective processes to address inconclusive matches with the terrorist watchlist. The implications of releasing individuals with potential ties to terrorism are deeply concerning, and the report underscores the importance of reevaluating and strengthening current protocols to safeguard national security.
