Republican senators are raising concerns about the Biden administration’s border policies after Border Patrol agents discovered illegal border crossers with explosive devices that they say are a potential terror threat. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), who is the Senate Republican Conference Chairman, shared this shocking revelation during a press conference on October 31. He was joined by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) following their recent visit to the U.S.–Mexico border.
The senators expressed their worries about over 8 million illegal border crossings occurring under President Joe Biden’s watch. They argue that these explosive devices, resembling cannonballs, found on some of the border crossers pose an elevated risk of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
We’ve just come back from our southern border, and it’s crystal clear that with Joe Biden’s open border policy, our country is now at a higher risk of a terrorist attack, Mr. Barrasso said during the press conference.
More Read
Recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents confiscated improvised explosive devices from illegal immigrants. Sheriff’s groups are expressing concerns, stating that these measures may be too little, too lateafter Border Patrol warned that Hamas terrorists could try to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
Mr. Ricketts pointed out that, due to what he called President Biden’s failedborder policies, there were 18 people on the terrorist watchlist apprehended for illegal entry in September, compared to just single digits in previous years.
We’re opening ourselves up for a terrorist attack, Ricketts emphasized.
The FBI Director, Christopher Wray, also raised the terror threat level, warning that foreign terrorist organizations have been calling for attacks against Americans and the West, following an attack by Hamas in early October. He described the threat from homegrown extremistsas substantial.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had previously issued a terror alert, citing a heightened threat environment,which includes individuals with ties to foreign terrorist organizations targeting schools, government facilities, and critical infrastructure.
September saw a record high of over 269,000 people caught crossing the U.S.–Mexico border illegally, and the number of illegal border crossings has become a grave concern.
Mr. Barrasso noted that Homeland Security raised the terror threat because many people are entering illegally, including gotaways,who evade detection. Since President Biden took office, there have been 1.7 million such gotaways,according to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that over 600,000 illegal immigrants evaded capture during the 2023 fiscal year, attributing it to a long-standing problem in the immigration system. However, Mr. Ricketts blamed the Biden administration for creating this crisis.
At the press conference, Senator Cornyn highlighted the issue of not knowing the identities of the gotaways,emphasizing their reasons for avoiding law enforcement.
Ricketts suggested that restoring the Trump-era Remain in Mexicopolicy would be the single most effective action the president could take to address the crisis.
The “Remain in Mexico” policy, also known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), required asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for their U.S. court hearings. The White House did not respond to requests for comments on the criticism directed at the president for the border situation.
In response to the latest illegal immigration data from September, CBP assured that they would remain vigilant and make necessary operational adjustments while enforcing U.S. immigration law. President Biden has sought additional funding, including support for border protection, as part of his funding request to Congress.
The situation at the border remains a contentious issue, with politicians, law enforcement, and the public expressing growing concerns about the potential security threats.
