"In this case, it was the information that suggested a potential tie to ISIS because of some of the individuals involved in [smuggling migrants to the border] that led us to want to take extra care,” a Biden administration official said.
It has been revealed that the Department of Homeland Security identified over 400 illegal immigrants as "subjects of concern" due to the fact that they entered the United States with assistance from a human smuggling network affiliated with the Islamic State. While 150 have been arrested, the location of 50 of them is unknown.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has vowed to track them down and arrest them on immigration charges. Those who have already been apprehended have not been tied to terrorist threats in the US.
"In this case, it was the information that suggested a potential tie to ISIS because of some of the individuals involved in [smuggling migrants to the border] that led us to want to take extra care,” a Biden administration official told NBC News, "and out of an abundance of caution make sure that we exercised our authority in the most expansive and appropriate way to mitigate risk because of this potential connection being made."
Former FBI counterterrorism section chief Christopher O'Leary told the outlet that the fact so many of the migrants suspected to have ties to ISIS are still on the run was "clearly alarming," but expressed optimism that they would be caught.
"I believe the [US] is scrambling to locate these individuals, and using the immigration charges is not uncommon," he said. "They are in violation of that law. And if you need to take somebody off the street, that’s a good approach to do it.”
Earlier this month, eight illegal immigrants from Tajikistan with ties to ISIS were arrested in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. At least one of the men used the Biden administration's CBP One app to cross the border in the spring of 2023.
In recent weeks, the process of vetting those entering the country illegally has been scrutinized by the DHS Office of Inspector General, which noted in a report that the DHS' "technology, procedures, and coordination were not fully effective to screen and vet noncitizens applying for admission into the United States."
The Republican-led House Homeland Security Committee has since called on the federal agency to provide the unredacted report so it can "evaluate DHS's handling of this important national security matter."
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