During a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was questioned on whether or not the massive influx of illegal immigrants into America presents a terrorism threat and the Secretary would not provide a clear answer.
The DHS has requested supplemental funding from Congress and during the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Republican North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven expressed his major concerns regarding the security implications of a wide open border. During the hearing, Mayorkas acknowledged that under the Biden administration there have been 6 million encounters of illegal migrants by law enforcement but dodged the question of possible terrorist threats from the surge.
Reports have shown that the number of arrests of individuals illegally crossing the southern border whose names also appear on the terror watch list have increased. The Border Patrol arrested 169 people who crossed into the country illegally that were on the terror watch list in fiscal year 2023. It was 98 people apprehended only a year ago, 15 people two years ago, three people in 2020 and zero in 2019.
“Do you think that millions of people crossing our border illegally creates a risk of a terrorist attack in our country?” Senator Hoeven asked the Secretary.
“Senator, I think that the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security do an extraordinary job of ensuring the safety and security of the American people,” Mayorkas answered in an attempt to completely dodge the question.
“That wasn’t what I asked. I said, do you think that millions of people crossing our border illegally every year, two and a half million last year, creates the risk of a terrorist, with what’s going on in the world, people coming from more than 100 different countries crossing here illegally, you don’t even know how many of them are still here, you came here today without that information. Do you think that creates a risk of a terrorist attack in our country?” Hoeven asked again.
Mayorkas tried to cast blame back on the Senator for misrepresenting his statements but was abruptly stopped and asked again “Yes or no, do you think that creates a risk? Millions of people come here… are here illegally, we’re not even talking about the got-aways, how many got-aways in our country here illegally? Does that create the risk of a terrorist attack in our country? Simple question.”
“Let me assure you, Senator, that the safety and security of the American people is the single highest priority of the Department of Homeland Security,” Mayorkas said, unable to acknowledge that millions of people entering the country unchecked would undoubtedly increase the chances of terrorism.