During the presidential term of Joe Biden, Border Patrol agents allegedly allowed several hundred Iranian nationals to enter the United States. This move has raised serious national security questions amidst an intensifying military climate. As per data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), from fiscal year 2021 to fiscal year 2024, a total of 1,504 Iranian nationals were apprehended, with 729 subsequently released into the U.S.
This information surfaces in the aftermath of recent U.S. military strikes against three major nuclear facilities in Iran, which incited promises of reprisal from the Islamic state. In reaction to the U.S. actions, Iran has carried out missile attacks on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The aftermath and true success of these strikes is ambiguous at the moment of reporting.
Presently, there are no confirmed casualties stemming from the airstrikes according to Qatar’s Foreign Minister, despite Iran’s retaliatory strikes on the U.S. air base. The data indicates that approximately half of all Iranians detained for unlawful border entry, who are classified as Special Interest Aliens by immigration officials, have eventually been released into the U.S.
Tom Homan, who managed deportation operations during the Trump administration, expressed concern that the released Iranians are just the ones authorities have knowledge about. Homan quoted alarming figures in a recent media talk, claiming over ’10 million people crossed the border under President Biden’s administration.’
Homan further elaborated on his concerns referring to the ‘two million known gotaways’ who crossed the border and disappeared because Border Patrol was overburdened due to the critical conditions on the southern border, facilitated by Biden’s policies. Their identities and origins remain uncertain as Border Patrol lost track of them amidst the overwhelming humanitarian crisis.
The escalating crisis on the southern border under the Biden administration has left Border Patrol agents inundated with an unparalleled inflow of foreign nationals. This presented severe challenges to manage all in custody effectively. Consequently, the agency had no choice but to release many individuals, including those at the very center of U.S. national security concerns.
The year-wise breakdown of Iranians released in the U.S. is as follows: 12 in fiscal year 2021, 40 in 2022, 229 in 2023, and 448 in 2024. These releases have ignited a great deal of debate and concern among political circles and the general populace.
GOP Representative August Pfluger pointed out the potential dangers implicit, arguing that ‘the principal state that sponsors terrorism leveraged the gaps in the Biden administration’s border policies for 4 years. Now, we have 729 Iranians with uncertain terror affiliations living within our country, presenting one of the biggest national security threats we have ever faced.’
Pfluger urged for immediate action and efforts to locate these individuals. Concurrently, the U.S. military has carried out an organized aerial attack on three critical nuclear installations in Iran: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. This military action is speculated to have effectively annihilated Iran’s nuclear potential and neutralized the risk of Iran using nuclear weapons in acts of global terrorism.
Against this backdrop, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an alert about a heightened threat atmosphere in the United States. Though no specific threats are mentioned, ‘low-level cyber attacks’ executed by Iran-affiliated hackers are considered a likely possibility.
In the current scenario, the U.S.-Mexico border is witnessing a historic low in illicit migrant activity, resulting in decreased instances of foreign nationals being released on U.S. soil by border authorities. This paints a contrasting picture to the last administration’s handling of border affairs.
The Trump administration prided itself on having an effective border policy, reporting no migrant releases into the U.S. during May of its final year in office. This strikes a sharp comparison to the 62,000 illegal migrants that were released into the country in May 2024 under the Biden administration’s watch.