On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was grilled in an acrimonious session for his handling – or lack thereof – of the overrun southwest border.
Rep. Jim Jordan questioned Mayorkas on a Fox News claim that 42 people on the terror watch list or no-fly list have been caught attempting to enter the country since Joe Biden became president.
WATCH: @SecMayorkas just admitted he does not know whether any of the 42 known or suspected terrorists apprehended at our border have been released into the country.
Props to @Jim_Jordan for not letting this question go: pic.twitter.com/8rvvM0X3dU
— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) April 28, 2022
“Secretary, have any of the 42 illegal migrants on the terrorist watch list or no-fly list encountered on our southwest border been released into the United States?” Jordan asked Mayorkas.
42 illegal immigrants were caught trying to cross our border, but Mayorkas was unable to give a direct answer of whether they are in our country to Rep. @Jim_Jordan. pic.twitter.com/cIPYsltpBX
— MRCTV (@mrctv) April 28, 2022
“Ranking Member Jordan, as I mentioned before, I will provide that data to you with respect to the disposition of each one. I do not know the answer to your question,” the secretary said.
Jordan responded:
“The Secretary of Homeland Security does not know the answer to the status of 42 individuals who came to our southern border illegally, are on the no fly list, and the — and the no — and the terrorist watch list. You do not — do not know whether they have been released or not into the country. That’s your testimony.”
“Ranking Member Jordan, as I’ve said before, I will provide you the data. I do want to –“
Jordan interrupted him: “I yield back to the gentleman. That’s amazing. I yield back.”
Between Jan. 20 and the end of December, 23 people on the terror watch list or no-fly list were captured at the southern border, according to Fox News.
“This latest statistic includes the Office of Field Operations (OFO) data, and so includes those encountered at ports of entry, the information covers nationwide arrests and is not specific to the southern border.”
Of course, as various Republicans have noted, no one knows how many dangerous people have entered the country undetected.
Watch it here: Youtube/ Rep. Jim Jordan
Sources: Westernjournal, Notthebee, Foxnews