U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have recently detained eight foreign nationals suspected of having links to the terrorist organization ISIS, according to a U.S. official involved in the investigation. These individuals, originally from Tajikistan, were apprehended on immigration charges in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia after entering the United States via the southern border with Mexico. They are currently held in U.S. custody.
Although the initial screenings at the border did not reveal any suspicious information about the detainees, subsequent intelligence linked them to ISIS. As of now, they are not facing terrorism charges but are in ICE custody awaiting removal proceedings.
The arrests were part of a coordinated effort with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces. In a joint statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI emphasized their commitment to national security, particularly given the heightened threat environment. “The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” the statement read. “As the FBI and DHS have recently described in public and partner bulletins, the U.S. has been in a heightened threat environment. The FBI and DHS will continue working around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security.”
The initial report of the arrests was published by the New York Post. This development follows a warning from FBI Director Christopher Wray in April about the potential for coordinated terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, particularly in the wake of a deadly ISIS-K attack in a Russian concert hall on March 22, which resulted in 145 fatalities.
In response to ongoing concerns about national security and border management, President Biden, who has faced criticism from Republicans over his handling of the increase in migrants at the southern border, recently took executive action. This measure grants him the authority to effectively close the border to migrants during periods of overwhelming influx.
