Thousands of nationals from Middle Eastern countries have crossed the border in recent years, including several suspected terrorists, a reality which has provoked renewed concern as Hamas murders civilians in Israel and calls for worldwide terrorism.
More than 3,000 Egyptians, 600 Iranians, 500 Syrians, 100 Lebanese, and other individuals from Middle Eastern countries where Islamic terrorist organizations maintain a strong presence have crossed the border over the past three years, according to data from Customs and Border Protection. Some 432 suspected terrorists have crossed the northern border in fiscal year 2023, marking a 685% increase from fiscal year 2021 and a 38% increase from fiscal year 2022.
Representative Mike Kelly, a Republican from Pennsylvania, and Representative Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana, introduced a resolution asking that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas address the surge in potential terrorists crossing into the United States.
"At a time of increased global uncertainty, we must take every measure necessary to secure our country. That includes our northern border, which is greatly unsecured," Kelly said. "The majority of suspected terrorists caught this year have crossed between the United States and Canada, which is the longest continuous border between two countries in the entire world.”
The warning about the number of illegal border crossings occurs after Khaled Meshaal, who formerly served as chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau and now leads the Islamic terrorist group’s diaspora office, called on Muslims to launch a “day of jihad” in cities around the world, provoking fears of terrorism across the United States and other Western nations. Police departments in cities such as New York City and Los Angeles increased their patrols, particularly near Jewish schools and other potential targets of violence.
National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said in a press briefing last week that the Biden administration would coordinate with police forces around the nation to monitor potential attacks. “We are constantly in touch with local law enforcement, state and federal officials across the country to make sure that we are as vigilant as we can be to be able to identify and disrupt any threats to the American people,” he commented.
