Republican Senators Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham are demanding additional information from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after a number of ISIS terrorists illegally crossed the U.S. southern border with Mexico and were arrested in a number of major cities last week. The terrorists were processed through the asylum system and paroled into the country. Paul serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Graham as the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“We, as the Ranking Members of committees with jurisdiction over immigration and national security, are writing to request additional information concerning the recent apprehension of several individuals from Tajikistan with suspected ties to the Islamic State. According to media reports, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently arrested multiple individuals with suspected ties to ISIS on immigration violations in various cities across the country, including New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, following their entry into the United States through the southwest land border," Paul and Graham wrote in a letter to Mayorkas Monday.
“The circumstances of these arrests have highlighted significant potential vulnerabilities within our border security and immigration screening processes. Given the serious national security implications of these deficiencies, it is imperative that we receive detailed information to fully understand the scope of these issues and to ensure that our border infrastructure and national security systems are adequately safeguarding against such threats," they continued.
Paul and Graham are requesting a series of documents and communications about the situation by June 28.
In April Mayorkas was impeached by the U.S. House over his deliberate failure to secure the border.
Secretary Mayorkas has refused to comply with the laws passed by Congress and has breached the public trust.
— House Homeland GOP (@HomelandGOP) April 8, 2024
The House has impeached him for these offenses.
Now it's time for the Senate to do its job–hold a trial, hear the evidence, and render a verdict. pic.twitter.com/MqaEHW4sTO