House Republicans criticize Biden White House following ISIS border arrests

Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., chair of the Homeland Security Committee, was among the top House Republicans who criticized the Biden administration’s open-border policies on Wednesday. This comes after multiple reports that eight Tajikistan natives with suspected ties to the Islamic State group were arrested in a coordinated sting operation in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.

All eight men crossed through the southern border into the U.S., and their criminal background checks came back clean when they entered, as reported by NBC News. At least two of the men crossed in the spring of 2023, with one using the CBP One app created by the Biden administration for migrants to book asylum appointments.

“Almost weekly we are getting reports that someone with terrorist ties or other major criminal connections has been released into our country by the Biden administration and allowed to roam free for months or even years,” stated Green in a news release. “Such bad actors exploiting our borders used to be the exception — it’s quickly becoming the rule under President [Joe] Biden and now-impeached [Homeland Security] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas.

“It’s only a matter of time before one of these individuals connected to a terrorist group is involved in something devastating on U.S. soil, and this administration will be responsible. How much longer will we let this madness continue?”

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force had been monitoring the eight men as part of an investigation into a potential terrorist threat originating in central Europe, according to NBC News.

“Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several noncitizens pursuant to immigration authorities,” read a joint statement from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. “The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, echoed Green’s concerns about the escalating risk of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil due to Biden’s open-border policies.

“FBI Director Wray testified last week of growing potential for a coordinated ISIS-like attack in the US, & it’s not hard to see why,” posted McCaul on X. “Pres. Biden’s open border has enabled terrorists like these 8 individuals to enter our nation & live in our communities while they plot our demise.

“Instead of making flippant attempts to appeal to voters with more bootless executive orders — which fool no one — the president should be urging the Senate to pass House Republicans’ Secure the Border Act, which would fix the national security crisis he created.”

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed similar concerns about the impact of Biden’s open-border policies on national security in a post on X.

However, the Biden administration attempted to shift focus by pointing to claims that some House Republicans want to defund the FBI.

“This is another example of why we think some calls from Republicans to defund the FBI is a bad idea, is troublesome,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a press gaggle on Air Force One. “And so we’ll continue to call that out as well.”