While authorities, security experts, and conservative border hawks have long warned that the ongoing security situation at the southern border could permit entry by hostile actors, the recent arrest of multiple suspects linked to the Islamic State has reignited fears of potential terrorist activity.
Authorities this week arrested a group of suspects with suspected links to the Islamic State across multiple major American cities, including Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles, ABC News reported. The individuals in question reportedly crossed the southern border last year after originally traveling from Tajikistan. The suspects reportedly raised no security concerns upon their initial entry but authorities ultimately turned up links to the Islamic terror group.
All three cities in which the arrests occurred are "sanctuary cities" and it is not known at this time whether local law enforcement assisted with the raids.
"Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several non-citizens pursuant to immigration authorities. The actions were carried out in close coordination with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces,” the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. “The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. As the FBI and DHS have recently described in public and partner bulletins, the U.S. has been in a heightened threat environment. The FBI and DHS will continue working around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security."
