WASHINGTON – On Friday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), joined Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Ranking Member Rand Paul, M.D. (R-Ky.), and all their HSGAC GOP colleagues, in sending a letter to Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) requesting a hearing to examine the threat of individuals exploiting the southern border for potential terrorist activities. 

The letter outlines how the Biden administration has allowed millions to cross the border, including an increased number of individuals with potential criminal and terrorist intent, such as the recent arrests of eight foreign nationals with suspected ties to ISIS. Since 2021, an alarming 360 individuals on the terrorist watchlist attempting to cross the Southwest border illegally have been apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Due to these numbers, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray expressed concern over the threat posed by the increased number of known or suspected terrorists attempting to exploit the Biden administration’s vulnerable border policies. As a result, the senators request a hearing with top officials from the relevant federal agencies to discuss strategies on how to handle the significant increase in terrorists entering the country due to the Biden administration’s failed policies.

 Sens. Johnson and Paul were joined on this letter by fellow HSGAC member Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.).

Full text of the letter can be found here.

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