At least 81 individuals on the U.S. terrorist watchlist have been stopped at the border since President Joe Biden took office, said Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
According to the Republican governor said that U.S. Border Patrol data shows that agents have intercepted 66 migrants on the terror watchlist at the U.S. border this year and another 15 since Biden took office, compared to an average of 3 terrorist subjects a year during previous administrations.
The terror watchlist is a federal database of known or suspected terrorists, according to the FBI. The list also includes those individuals who could be a potential threat to the country or those who associate with those who are threats.
“Most people on the terrorism watchlist are not Americans, and they have no known connection to the U.S. For security reasons, the TSC does not confirm anyone’s status on the watchlist,” reads the description of the watchlist on the FBI’s website.
“The sharp rise in apprehensions of the watchlisted individuals coincides with a significant rise in overall border encounters,” the US Border Patrol said.
So far in the fiscal year 2022, Border Patrol agents have encountered an unprecedented number of migrants at the southern border. Since October, more than 1.8 million people have attempted to cross the border, four times more than those who were intercepted at the border in 2020.
“His refusal to secure the border is a direct threat to our national security,” tweeted Abbott about President Biden.
“Texas is stepping up to protect Americans from these dangerous criminals,” Abbott added.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has sent more than 7,400 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April and more than 1,500 migrants to New York City since August 5 in an effort to push back against the nation’s immigration policies.
