FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 17, 2024

 Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

Ranking Members Paul and Graham Request Information from DHS Sec. Mayorkas on Suspected Terrorists Apprehended in Major U.S. Cities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting additional information concerning the recent apprehension of several individuals from Tajikistan with suspected ties to the Islamic State who entered the U.S. through the southern border.

You can read the letter HERE or below.

“Dear Secretary Mayorkas:

“We, as the Ranking Members of committees with jurisdiction over immigration and national security, are writing to request additional information concerning the recent apprehension of several individuals from Tajikistan with suspected ties to the Islamic State. According to media reports, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently arrested multiple individuals with suspected ties to ISIS on immigration violations in various cities across the country, including New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, following their entry into the United States through the southwest land border. 

“The circumstances of these arrests have highlighted significant potential vulnerabilities within our border security and immigration screening processes. Given the serious national security implications of these deficiencies, it is imperative that we receive detailed information to fully understand the scope of these issues and to ensure that our border infrastructure and national security systems are adequately safeguarding against such threats.

“For this reason, we request the following information from your agency no later than June 28, 2024:

1. All Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records, including component records and complete Alien Files (A-Files), related to all of the individuals arrested in connection with this operation, including their immigration status and criminal history;
2. All communications from or between DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), ICE, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding these individuals, including but not limited to their immigration status and criminal history;
3. All documents and communications regarding the arrival and entry of these individuals at the southwest land border or any other U.S. border, including any documents, communications or data related to these individuals seeking or receiving appointments through the CBP One mobile app;
4. All documents and communications related to detention space at the time of each individual’s apprehension;
5. Any addresses provided by these individuals upon entering the U.S.;
6. All documents and communications related to these individuals’ personal information processed through international and national criminal databases;
7. All documents and communications related to any asylum or protection claims made by these individuals, including the type and reason provided;
8. All communications that DHS, CBP, or ICE had with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in relation to these individuals, including but not limited to any arrests or detainments by any state jurisdiction; and
9. All documents and communications detailing their transit through other countries and whether they sought asylum in a third country.

“Thank you for your prompt attention and cooperation in this matter.”

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