An Alarming Number of Iranian Nationals Were Released Into the U.S. Under Biden

Sarah Arnold | June 22, 2025 6:30 PM

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s bold and decisive strike on Iran’s nuclear program, concerning revelations have emerged about the Biden administration’s failure to secure America’s borders.

According to a senior Customs and Border Protection (CBP) source, a significant number of Iranian nationals entered the U.S. during former President Joe Biden’s time in office, raising serious national security concerns. As Iran threatens retaliation and concerns about sleeper cells grow, Trump is taking decisive steps to protect the United States, highlighting that Biden’s open-border policies may have allowed threats to enter the country unchecked.

Between fiscal years 2021 and 2024, a total of 1,504 Iranian nationals were caught crossing the U.S. border illegally under the Biden administration. Of those, 729—nearly 48 percent—were released into the country. The yearly breakdown shows 48 crossings in 2021, 197 in 2022, 462 in 2023, and 797 in 2024. Each year, the number released into the U.S. also rose sharply: 12 in 2021, 40 in 2022, 229 in 2023, and 448 in 2024.

NEW: Per senior CBP source, there were 1,504 Iranian nationals caught crossing the border illegally during the Biden administration from FY’21 through FY’24, 729 (48%) of whom were released into the U.S.

Year by year breakdown of Iranian nationals caught by Border Patrol at…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 22, 2025

Border Czar Tom Homan warned that the open border under Biden was the greatest national security threat in U.S. history, citing over 1,200 Iranian nationals released into the country, compared to zero under Trump. He credited President Trump with securing the border and criticized Biden for over 10 million illegal crossings, including 2 million “gotaways” who entered undetected.

The Biden administration has withheld information on how many Iranian nationals released into the U.S. were on the terror watchlist, rejecting multiple FOIA requests and appeals by citing "privacy concerns" and a supposed "minimal public interest." Yet, under Department of Homeland Security protocols, all Iranians are classified as “special interest aliens” due to national security risks and are supposed to undergo extra screening.