Border Patrol released migrant on terror watchlist into US twice in 1 year

“Any terrorist or terrorist-linked individual trying to come into this country is unacceptable.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

NBC NEWS REPORTS AN AFGHAN MIGRANT ON THE U.S. TERRORIST WATCHLIST, WAS TWICE RELEASED INTO THE U-S BY BORDER AGENTS AFTER ILLEGALLY CROSSING NEAR SAN YSIDRO, CALIFORNIA, IN MARCH LAST YEAR.

ACCORDING TO CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION — THE NATIONAL TERRORIST WATCHLIST IDENTIFIED MOHAMMAD KHARWIN AS A MEMBER OF HEZB-I-ISLAMI, OR H-I-G, A GROUP DESIGNATED BY THE U-S AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION FOR ITS POLITICAL AND PARAMILITARY ACTIVITIES.

DESPITE INITIAL SUSPICIONS, AUTHORITIES LACKED SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO CONFIRM HIS WATCHLIST STATUS, LEADING TO HIS RELEASE. 

C-B-P OFFICIALS RELEASED KHARWIN WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE F-B-I OR  IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT, WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO SEEK ASYLUM, WORK, AND TRAVEL FREELY WITHIN THE U.S. 

IN FEBRUARY 2024, NEARLY A YEAR AFTER THE FIRST ENCOUNTER, ICE OFFICIALS DETAINED KHARWIN AGAIN. HE SUBSEQUENTLY APPEARED IN COURT, POSTED A $12,000 BAIL AND WAS GRANTED FREEDOM WITHIN THE U.S., WITH THE CONDITION TO APPEAR AT A COURT HEARING NEXT YEAR.

NBC REPORTS THAT ICE PROSECUTORS DID NOT SHARE SOME CLASSIFIED INFORMATION WITH THE JUDGE THAT SHOWED KHARWIN’S alleged TIES TO THE TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. ICE HAS NOT APPEALED THE JUDGE’S DECISION

The Department of Homeland Security MAINTAINS that CBP did not “knowingly” release anyone listed on the terrorist watchlist, ADDING:

“At the time of the initial encounter, the information in the record could not have provided a conclusive match. As soon as there was information to suggest that this individual was of concern, he was taken into custody by ICE.”

THIS COMES AS THE U-S EXPERIENCES A RECORD NUMBER OF MIGRANT CROSSINGS, LESS THAN ZERO POINT ONE PERCENT OF ALL ENCOUNTERS UNDER PRESIDENTS BIDEN AND TRUMP INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS ON THE TERRORIST WATCH LIST.

SINCE THE START OF THE YEAR, BORDER PATROL HAS ENCOUNTERED OVER 366-THOUSAND MIGRANTS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

ACCORDING TO HOMELAND SECURITY KHARWIN WAS ARRESTED THURSDAY NIGHT

— HIS THIRD ARREST SINCE ILLEGALLY CROSSING INTO THE US. THEY NOTE THERE IS CURRENTLY NO EVIDENCE HE ENTERED THE U-S FOR A TERRORIST MISSION.