(RestoreAmericanGlory.com) – Jeh Johnson, a former official at the Department of Homeland Security, recently highlighted the unprecedented scale of migrant arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border, expressing concern over the inability of U.S. officials to identify some individuals crossing into the country.
Discussing this issue on Fox News, Johnson, an appointee during Barack Obama’s presidency, touched upon the U.S. perspective on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the latter being labeled a terrorist entity by the U.S.
The discourse takes place in the aftermath of a significant escalation in violence earlier this month, when Hamas orchestrated the most destructive attack against Israel to date, prompting the latter to retaliate with the most intensive aerial bombardment on Gaza so far.
Amidst this, there’s growing apprehension within the U.S. regarding the possibility of terrorists exploiting the southern border’s migration challenges to infiltrate the country. This sentiment was fueled by ex-President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated assertion about Hamas sympathizers flooding through the U.S.-Mexico border.
Anxiety escalated following Khaled Mashaal, a former Hamas leader, urging global demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians and calling on nearby nations like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt to militarily oppose Israel, as per a Reuters briefing.
Addressing the unease stemming from the Middle East turmoil, Johnson encouraged Americans to maintain awareness rather than succumbing to fear.
He emphasized the overwhelming numbers traversing the southern boundary, describing the movement as larger than any previous ones. He acknowledged the immense pressure on agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI to maintain pace with the situation.
Johnson pointed out the inefficiencies and severe delays in the current system, leading to numerous entrants remaining unidentified.
The Biden administration continues to encounter criticism over its border management, with recent disapproval coming from Democrats opposing further construction of the border wall. Official data reveals that encounters with migrants at the southern border have surpassed 2.2 million in the current fiscal year, marking an increase from the previous year’s 2.1 million.
Furthermore, there’s been an uptick in detentions of individuals featured on the FBI’s terrorist watchlist, totaling 151 along the southern border this fiscal year, as stated by the CBP, compared to 98 the preceding year.
However, it’s crucial to clarify that being flagged by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Data Set doesn’t equate to confirmed terrorist status. According to the DHS, those who meet these criteria could be anyone from relatives of individuals on the watchlist to those actively involved in terrorist acts.
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