The U.S. Border Patrol set a new record in May 2023 with 29 terrorism suspects apprehended at the southern border, according to recent data published by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
This figure contributes to a total of 125 terrorism suspects detained since October, marking the start of the fiscal year, according to an analysis by The Washington Times.
There were marginal declines in illegal entries at the southern border, while unauthorized entries at the northern border and arrivals at U.S. airports saw increases.
During President Biden’s previous year, agents encountered 98 terrorism suspects, a number significantly surpassed with four months still remaining in the current fiscal year.
The surge of terrorism suspects comes amidst significant shifts in illegal immigration trends following changes in border policies.
Notably, the end of the Title 42 pandemic border policy on May 11, and the resumption of standard immigration law enforcement, commonly known as Title 8, have led to changes.
Nationwide, CBP registered 273,141 unauthorized migrants entering in May, a slight decrease compared to the prior month’s figures.
These statistics cover migrants who entered without a visa at ports of entry and those apprehended while attempting unauthorized entry between these ports.
The Times notes how acting CBP Commissioner Troy A. Miller attributed the reduction in southern border encounters to effective planning and preparation.
He stated that “there has been a significant reduction in encounters along the Southwest border since the return to full Title 8 immigration enforcement on May 12.”
Prior to the cessation of Title 42, the Border Patrol had been dealing with a substantial influx of migrants, with several days recording over 10,000 apprehensions.
Under Biden’s administration, the government is attempting to channel immigrants away from illegal border crossings by offering alternative, albeit controversial, legal entry routes via scheduled appointments at official ports of entry.
Individuals opting for this path are apprehended and subsequently released under Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ parole authority.
However, the increase in terrorism suspects apprehended is causing concern among border security agents who believe that the higher numbers suggest more suspects are potentially slipping through.
Former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott, who was relieved of duty by the Biden administration in 2021, expressed his concern last week to Congress, saying the numbers suggest a real “national security threat” tied to the influx of migrants.
Scott cautioned that “cartels use illegal aliens to overwhelm law enforcement, creating controllable gaps in border security. These gaps are exploited to smuggle anything they want into the United States. To think that terrorist networks and hostile nations are not exploiting this vulnerability is naive.”
