House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford delivered an opening statement at a briefing focused on domestic counterterrorism and the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program. The session addressed concerns about national security threats related to border policy changes and the vetting of individuals entering the United States.
Crawford referenced recent testimony from National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who reported that 18,000 known and suspected terrorists were identified as having entered the U.S. during the Biden Administration. “The United States is facing a ticking time bomb of terror threats to the Homeland. I was horrified to hear NCTC Director Joe Kent’s testimony to the Homeland Security Committee last week that they had identified 18,000 known and suspected terrorists that were allowed to enter the U.S. during the Biden Administration,” Crawford said.
He criticized policy changes made at the start of President Joe Biden’s term, including halting border wall construction, rolling back immigration enforcement priorities, ending travel restrictions from certain countries, suspending deportations for 100 days, and pausing the Migrant Protection Protocols program. According to Crawford, these actions allowed many asylum seekers with limited documentation into the country: “On day one, the Biden Administration: halted construction of the border wall, rolled back immigration enforcement priorities domestically; ended travel restrictions from countries of concern; halted deportations for 100 days; and suspended the Migrant Protection Protocols program, enabling asylum seekers—many with little to no documentation proving their true identity—to enter the U.S. to await court hearings. Unfortunately, we’ve lost track of many of those asylees.”
Crawford also raised concerns about Operation Allies Welcome following Afghanistan’s withdrawal in 2021. He stated that 190,000 Afghan nationals were admitted under this program without sufficient documentation or biometric data collection: “In addition to the vast numbers that entered the U.S. via our southern border, during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Biden Administration granted entry to 190,000 Afghan nationals—again, many lacking documentation—and often without collecting any biometric information, under Operation Allies Welcome.”
While acknowledging America’s responsibility toward Afghans who assisted U.S. forces against Taliban rule, he argued that inadequate planning led to challenges in properly vetting new arrivals: “While the U.S. certainly had a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of Afghans who bravely worked with the U.S. in fighting the Taliban—at great risk to themselves and their families—the rushed and poorly planned withdrawal created a perfect storm of circumstances that overwhelmed our ability to properly vet who was allowed in our country.”
Crawford cited Secretary Noem’s remarks expressing uncertainty about who is present in America or their intentions and referenced Department of Homeland Security estimates suggesting up to 15-20 million people may have entered undetected or otherwise during recent years: “Last week, Secretary Noem said her greatest fear is that we do not know who is in our country, where they are, or their intentions. DHS estimates that up to 15-20 million individuals have entered the U.S. under the last Administration, including those who entered our country undetected. These reckless and irresponsible open border policies have put innocent Americans in danger.”
He highlighted ongoing threats posed by Islamic jihadists targeting Western nations as well as Jewish and Christian communities: “As we’ve tragically seen too many instances of recently, both domestically and around the world, Islamic jihadists seek to attack the West, and in particular Jewish and Christian targets. With 18,000 known or suspected terrorists in the U.S., we are playing goal line defense, and they only have to get lucky once.”
Concluding his statement before yielding time for remarks by Ranking Member Jim Himes (“I now yield to Ranking Member for any opening statement he’d like to make.”), Crawford emphasized his intent for further discussion on how agencies are working together on monitoring and prosecuting individuals considered security risks: “Today I look forward to getting a better understanding of domestic counterterrorism picture…and hearing how interagency is working find monitor prosecute deport known or suspected terrorists never should have entered our country begin with.”
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