Last Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection sent a bulletin alerting officers that Hamas, Hezbollah, & Islamic Jihad foreign fighters may be encountered at the U.S. southern border. The bulletin provides officers with instructions on critical indicators, including single, military-aged males with undetermined travel plans. This information comes during the same week San Diego Border agents apprehended a former Afghan Army general.
To date this year, Border Patrol agents apprehended 169 terror watchlist individuals. Not only is this a record, but it exceeds the combined totals of the past six years.
In September, there were 269,735 migrant encounters at the southern border, making it the highest single month ever recorded. For the fiscal year 2023, Border Patrols have reported 2.47 million encounters, marking the highest annual total ever recorded in a single year.
In addition to these encounters, there have been over 1.6 million “known gotaways” at the southern border in the last five years. Known gotaways are people seen or detected by Border Patrol agents but not apprehended.
The Federal Government is currently allowing more asylum seekers into the U.S. than Border Patrol agents can manage. Overwhelmed Border Patrol Agents are forced to drop migrants into our communities without resources or travel support. San Diego County experienced a significant influx, with over 22,000 migrants dropped in our community by Border Agents within the past 6 weeks. The year-end projection for migrant arrivals is expected to exceed 50,000 with no end in sight.
Given mounting national security concerns, the current unsustainable border policies are threatening our community’s and nation’s safety. We must immediately shut down the border to new immigrants, secure it, and restore order.
San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond
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