Federal authorities have revealed that a Jordanian migrant, Mohammed Hasan Abdellatif Albana, aged 41, was apprehended near the northern border of Lynden, Washington, as he attempted to enter the United States. According to ICE Enforcement Removal Operations in Seattle, Albana was identified as a 'known or suspected terrorist' by U.S. immigration officials.
Following immigration proceedings, Albana was deported back to Jordan on November 15. The ERO Seattle Field Office Director, Drew H. Bostock, emphasized the agency's commitment to removing noncitizens who pose national security risks to protect communities in the Pacific Northwest.
Under the Biden administration, Border Patrol agents have intercepted around 300 migrants whose names appear on the terror watchlist while attempting to cross the northern and southern borders of the U.S. The report by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee highlighted that a significant number of individuals on the terrorist watchlist encountered by Border Patrol were released into American communities.
Furthermore, the report revealed that immigration judges granted bond to several migrants on the watchlist who entered the country illegally. Border Patrol encountered thousands of migrants from countries that could potentially pose national security risks, including Afghan, Chinese, Iranian, Syrian, and Uzbek nationals.
The report also noted that Border Patrol had encountered migrants from 36 different countries on the terror watchlist, including countries with active terror presences such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, and Yemen.
The findings underscore the ongoing challenges faced by U.S. authorities in securing the borders and preventing individuals with potential ties to terrorism from entering the country undetected.
