A recent report from the Homeland Security Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has sparked concern among former law enforcement officials, who are warning of potential terrorist threats akin to 9/11 due to the Biden administration’s open border immigration policies.
The OIG report revealed that last year, an illegal immigrant on the terrorist watchlist was released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and was not apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until two weeks later.
OIG’s report unveiled a failure in coordination between the agencies, with the CBP releasing the individual “without providing information requested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) that would have confirmed the migrant was a positive match with the Terrorist Screening Data Set (Terrorist Watchlist).”
Former CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan described the oversight as a “huge black eye” for U.S. counterterrorism officials. He criticized the Biden administration’s approach to border security, alleging that their priority lies in processing and releasing illegal immigrants as quickly as possible, rather than securing the border.
Morgan further speculated on the presence of potential terrorists among the 1.7 million illegal immigrants estimated to have entered the U.S. during the Biden administration. He noted the possibility of a “terrorist sleeper cell in United States planning the next terrorist attack,” stating, “[w]e literally could have the next terrorist sleeper cell in United States planning the next terrorist attack, and we would have no idea. That’s fact, it’s not hyperbole.”
Former FBI Deputy Assistant Director Scott Nelson expressed his concern about an emerging culture in the U.S. that seemingly blurs the line between “good guys” and “bad guys.” He pointed out the purpose of the terrorist watchlist was to prevent another 9/11.
Nelson warned that the lack of coordination between federal agencies mirrored the situation prior to the 9/11 attacks. Nelson argued that the current approach is “facilitating the cartels, we are facilitating the terrorists, and we are pointing them towards another 9/11.”
Commentator Lou Dobbs also stressed the realness of the threat, criticizing the DHS for their failure in communication and for letting a terrorist roam free. Dobbs condemned the situation, stating the “Department of Homeland Security is nothing more than a shell organization right now, and unfortunately, a shell of its former institution.” Dobbs pointed out that ICE’s arrest of the illegal immigrant after two weeks was remarkable given that the organization’s abilities have been “eviscerated” under the Biden administration.
