An internal federal memo shows that a terrorist caught illegally crossing the southern border and released by the Biden administration into the United States moved freely throughout the country for almost a year before being arrested recently in Minnesota.
The internal federal memo to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, which was first obtained by The Daily Caller, revealed that the unidentified member of al-Shabaab, a Somali terrorist organization, was released into the United States after the terrorist was caught crossing the border last March near San Ysidro, California.
The U.S. State Department labeled al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization in 2008. According to the National Counterterrorism Center, al-Shabaab has launched terrorist attacks in Somalia, Uganda, and Kenya.
The Daily Caller reported that the Terrorist Screening Center “deemed” the terrorist a “mismatch” after running the individual’s name through the terrorist watchlist.
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On January 18, almost a year after the al-Shabaab terrorist was released by the Biden administration into the United States, the Terrorist Screening Center “made a redetermination,” announcing that the individual was “a confirmed member of al-Shabaab” and had been associated with the manufacture, transportation, or use of firearms or explosives.
Two days after the Terrorist Screen Center’s redetermination, the unidentified al-Shabaab terrorist was arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to The Daily Caller.
According to data provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol agents apprehended 173 suspects on the terror watchlist who attempted to illegally enter the United States during fiscal year 2023.
John Fabbricatore, a board member of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement and a former ICE field director, warned The Daily Caller that the unprecedented number of illegal immigrants attempting to cross the southern border presents a national security risk as dangerous terrorists and criminals now have an easier time entering the United States.
“Many within the Biden administration, including Secretary Mayorkas, have repeatedly assured us that the vetting process at the border is comprehensive and complete,” Fabbricatore said. “However, we continue to witness alarming instances where terrorists are able to freely roam the United States for months after being released at the border before their criminal and terrorist histories come to light.”
