FBI Director Christopher Wray, during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday, expressed significant concern over the influx of undocumented immigrants bypassing Border Patrol agents. He emphasized the potential security risks these “gotaways” pose to the United States.
Wray was questioned by Committee Chairman Mark Green about the alarming figures of these gotaways, which have reportedly surpassed 600,000 in the fiscal year 2023, with more than 47,000 instances since October 1, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources.
Highlighting the scale of the issue, Green speculated that the number of gotaways since the start of the Biden administration might exceed two million. He questioned the FBI’s ability to ensure that known or suspected terrorists, including those from groups like Hamas, aren’t among these undocumented immigrants.
In his response, Wray acknowledged the severity of the situation, citing the FBI’s active engagement through its joint terrorism task forces to address the concern. He admitted that the presence of individuals in the U.S. about whom little is known poses a significant security threat.
Wray noted an uptick in the number of known or suspected terrorists attempting to cross the border over the past five years, with record numbers appearing on the terror watchlist in fiscal year 2023. He couldn’t pinpoint the cause of this increase but affirmed that the issue is a priority for all 56 FBI field offices, not just those in border states.
This testimony comes amid heightened concerns about the potential exploitation of the U.S.-Mexico border by terrorists. October saw over 249,000 migrant encounters, following a record-breaking fiscal year for such encounters. While Republicans attribute this surge to the Biden administration’s policies, the administration argues for immigration reform and additional funding to address what it terms a “broken” immigration system.
The concerns about terrorism have been intensified following recent attacks by Hamas on Israel. Green expressed his worry to Fox News Digital, pointing to the U.S. border’s “open door policy” as a major contributing factor to increased risk.
Previously, Wray has warned the Senate about the heightened threat of terror attacks on American soil, citing concerns about homegrown violent extremists inspired by foreign terrorist organizations and domestic violent extremists targeting religious groups.
A CBP memo highlighted the potential entry of fighters from groups like Hamas and Hezbollah into the U.S., though the agency later clarified that it has not observed any such attempts. DHS’s FY 24 threat assessment also warned of the growing number of individuals on the watch list encountered at the border, indicating possible exploitation of the situation by terrorists and criminal actors.
DHS has emphasized its rigorous screening processes to prevent individuals who pose a threat from entering the country, noting that encounters with known or suspected terrorists are rare and often involve individuals associated with such terrorists, including family members. The agency assures that it thoroughly screens and vets every individual encountered at the border.