The number of suspected terrorists entering illegally into the U.S. has spiked over 2,500% since the previous administration, according to the latest federal data.
Border Patrol agents apprehended a total of 367 individuals at the southern and northern borders between fiscal years 2021 and 2024 whose names appeared on the terror watch list, according to the latest data released by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The number marks a roughly 2,521% increase from the 14 suspected terrorists caught between ports of entry in fiscal years 2017 to 2020.
There were 80 Border Patrol encounters of suspected terrorists at the U.S.-Mexico border in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, while there were only 11 caught by agents during President Donald Trump’s White House tenure from fiscal years 2017 to 2020, the data shows.
The latest numbers follow several high-profile encounters with suspected terrorists at the border, with some being allowed to roam free into the country.
Mohammad Kharwin, an Afghan national, was placed into a government monitoring program after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border near San Ysidro, California, in 2023. He was almost immediately taken off the program, known as Alternatives to Detention, and was able to roam free in the country for nearly a year until it was discovered that he had potential ties to Hezbo-e-Islmi, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
A Pakistani national illegally crossed the southern border in November 2023 and was a confirmed match for a name on the terror watch list. The terror suspect was also placed into the Alternatives to Detention program for a day before being put back into physical detention.
The latest immigration data also reveals the record number of Chinese nationals entering the U.S., which Republican lawmakers argue present another security risk for the country.
A total of 27,583 Chinese nationals unlawfully crossed into the U.S. over the past seven months of fiscal year 2024 — surpassing the 24,125 who illegally crossed in fiscal year 2023 and exceeding the 1,987 who illegally entered in fiscal year 2022, the CBP numbers show.
