(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed apprehension over the substantial number of illegal aliens flooding the U.S. without detection, calling the border crossings of individuals with potential ties to terror groups a matter of “great concern.”
Wray’s admission surfaced during a hearing held by the House Homeland Security Committee, focusing on “worldwide threats,” Fox News reported on Wednesday.
The committee, led by Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., addressed the staggering count of over 600,000 individuals who evaded immigration apprehensions in fiscal year 2023 alone.
“Can the FBI guarantee the American people that known or suspected terrorists…are not amongst those [border] ‘gotaways’?”
FBI Director Chris Wray: “Certainly, the group of people that you’re talking about are a source of great concern for us” pic.twitter.com/U8lua8lzFw
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 15, 2023
During the hearing, Green inquired about potential security risks among these “gotaways,” specifically probing the FBI’s ability to capture terrorist-linked individuals. According to the committee, nearly 1.8 million “known” individuals have avoided detention when crossing the border.
“Can the FBI guarantee American people that known or suspected terrorists, including any from Hamas or other terror groups, are not amongst those gotaways?” Green asked.
Responding to the query, Wray highlighted the FBI’s alleged proactive measures. “Well, certainly the group of people that you’re talking about are source of great concern for us. That’s why we’re aggressively using all 56 of our joint terrorism task forces,” Wray claimed.
Wray further added, “Any time you have a group of people in the United States that we don’t know nearly enough about, that is a source of concern for us from a perspective in our lane of protecting Americans.”
Wray’s statements followed recent attempts by some Republican lawmakers to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who also testified during the hearing, over his management of the border situation
Unacceptable: Secretary Mayorkas can’t answer simple yes or no questions from @RepDesposito about the border crisis. pic.twitter.com/0tJlYCNH6r
— House Homeland GOP (@HomelandGOP) November 15, 2023
Despite efforts to initiate impeachment led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., the measure failed as eight Republicans sided with Democrats to dismiss the motion.
Last month, Wray drew attention by highlighting the federal government’s apprehensions regarding a potential terror act linked to Hamas within the U.S.
“In this heightened environment, there’s no question we’re seeing an increase in reported threats, and we’ve got to be on the lookout, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own,” he said during a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference on Oct. 14.
