Q&A of the Day – Illegal Immigrants on The Terror Watch List Released In the US
Each day I feature a listener question sent by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
Social: @brianmuddradio
iHeartRadio: Use the Talkback feature – the microphone button on our station’s page in the iHeart app.
Today’s Entry: @brianmuddradio Outrageous that Border Czar Kamala allowed the released potential terrorists into the US!!! Please explain what it takes to be on the terror watch list.
Bottom Line: Sure, enough it was on Monday that the news broke of the Biden-Harris border policy not the only thing broken with those unlawfully crossing our borders. According to documents released by the House Judiciary Committee, between 2021 and 2023, there were at least 99 illegal immigrants who were identified by US authorities as being on the terrorism watch list that were released into the interior of the United States.
According to the report, during the period in question, the Biden Administration detected 375 illegal immigrants whose identities matched those on the US Terror Watch List spanning 36 different countries – including terroristic hotbeds: Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Of them, 242 were deported, 99 were released into the interior and 34 are still detained in US custody. Perhaps most remarkable, 31 of the 99 Terror Watch List members were granted stay after being vetted by an immigration judge. An immigration judge granted bond to 27 of the Terror Watch List participants (one with known ties to ISIS) with four that were granted asylum! The alarming report came with this quote from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan: Releasing terrorists into the United States has become almost routine for the Biden-Harris administration. So, what is the Terror Watch List and what does it take to get on it?
The Watch List is created through what’s known as the Terrorist Screening Center. The FBI is the lead federal agency with oversight of the Terrorist Screening Center. As is noted by the FBI: Born out of the events of 9/11 and created in 2003, the TSC maintains the U.S. government’s consolidated Terrorist Watchlist—a single database of identifying information about those known to be or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activity. By supporting the ability of front-line screening agencies to positively identify known or suspected terrorists trying to obtain visas, enter the country, board aircraft, or engage in other activity, the consolidated Terrorist Watchlist is one of the most effective counterterrorism tools for the U.S. government.
As mentioned, the Terrorist Screening Center was a byproduct of theoretical reforms passed following the 9/11 terror attacks which included the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS uses the Terrorist Screening Database to share the FBI’s Watchlist across all federal agencies, which in theory, should help prevent potential terrorists from falling through cracks a la what occurred preceding 9/11, 2001. As is also noted by the FBI the Watchlist is dubbed as one of the most effective counterterrorism tools for the U.S. government – but only apparently when they chose to use it.
Currently the U.S. Terror Watchlist is an expansive list of over 2 million individuals believed to be potential terror threats to the United States. It’s unclear just how many are active within the United States, but we know now that 99 were permitted entry into the interior by the Biden-Harris administration. To date, the administration has declined comment.