Dozens of migrants from terror watchlist released into US: House GOP

The U.S. Border Patrol has tracked down more than 250 migrants on terror watchlists in the past two years, with at least 99 of them being released into the country, according to a congressional report released Monday.

The claims were made by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in a new report that blames the Biden administration for allowing suspected terrorists to enter the U.S. from three dozen countries.

“While national security officials warn Americans about potential terrorist threats, Biden-Harris administration officials continue to downplay the national security nightmare created by the border crisis,” the Judiciary Committee report said.

The committee said the nationals known to be on the terrorism suspect list come from 36 countries, including Afghanistan, Lebanon and Syria.

Some of the passengers encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were able to make appointments at ports of entry using the CBP One app, despite assurances from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that the app can detect potential threats.

According to the commission, in fiscal years 2021 through 2023 — the period from October 2020 to September of last year, most of which fell under the Biden administration — immigration judges granted bond to at least 27 people on the watch list and granted asylum to four of them.

The report comes as immigration has become a key campaign issue for both parties, with Republicans questioning Vice President Harris’ record and Democrats defending her.

The House Judiciary Committee, which includes GOP provocateurs Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz, said it was releasing the report “to inform legislative reforms to secure the border and deter the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to undermine our national security.”

The report highlights problems with migrants using false documents to get through border control and the existing catch-and-release system while they await trial in the US.

One of the cases highlighted was that of Jovokhir Attoev, an Uzbek citizen who was on a terrorist watchlist and spent two years in the U.S. after authorities said they could find no problem with him. He was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in April 2024.

Another, Mohammad Kharwin from Afghanistan, was released by CBP in March 2023 and spent almost a year living in the U.S.

Kharwin was arrested by ICE in February 2024 but released a month later on $12,000 bail. An immigration judge found he did not pose a threat despite being on a watch list.

The report’s authors point to these cases as “systemic problems” in the immigration system, including in the courts hearing immigration cases, saying judges are not adequately trained to make informed decisions.

The document also found that screening and vetting procedures were inadequate and called for better monitoring of those released by the Department of Homeland Security.

In an ominous conclusion, the report warned that “the worst may be yet to come.”

Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House on Monday afternoon for comment on the report.

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