"We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration, the likes of which we haven't seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago. In just the past few weeks, multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West. ISIS urged its followers to target Jewish communities in the United States and Europe. Hizballah has publicly expressed its support for Hamas and threatened to attack U.S. interests in the Middle East. And we've seen an increase in attacks on U.S. military bases overseas carried out by militia groups backed by Iran."
Wray wasn't just talking theoretically, either. While he didn't mention him by name, he did reference the recent arrest of a Jordanian National living in Houston. "Here in the United States," said Wray, "Our most immediate concern is that violent extremists—individuals or small groups—will draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives... We've seen that already with the individual we arrested last week in Houston, who'd been studying how to build bombs and posted online about his support for killing Jews." In fact, Sohaib Abuayyash, 20, was arrested for "unlawful possession of a firearm by someone with a non-immigrant visa." He was "allegedly plotting an attack on Houston's Jewish community before he was arrested on gun charges," according to the New York Post.
Now that Wray has finally caught up with the rest of us let's look at some of the catastrophic stats at America's borders. Green calls his two-page summary of the border crisis "Startling Stats, Worst on Record: Biden and Mayorkas Make Border Crisis History in Fiscal Year 2023." In the final month of 2023 alone, the numbers represent an "86% increase from June 2023," with a record number of 269,735 encounters at the Southwest border, as recorded by CBP.
The annual numbers are equally horrifying. Per Green's factsheet summary, "CBP recorded more than 2.4 million encounters at the Southwest border and more than 3.2 million nationwide." And, to address Wray's delayed realization of the danger to the homeland, Green adds, "Just this fiscal year, 169 individuals on the terrorist watchlist were apprehended attempting to enter the country illegally, and at least 1.7 million known gotaways have evaded apprehension since FY2021." In September alone, 18 individuals on terror watchlist were apprehended. How many of those gotaways are poised and ready to commit terrorism on U.S. soil? I guess when you build it, they will come.
Green states that Mayorkas is only doubling down on his failed policies despite the troubling numbers. About three months ago, Mayorkas testified the border numbers "have dropped" because of his policy of "expanding lawful pathways" of entry. And, according to Rep. McClintock's response to Mayorkas' ridiculous claim, the U.S. is "adding the population equivalent of the state of Wyoming every single year" as a result of the CBP One app that allows illegals to bypass the usual system of entry. The CBP One app enabled Mayorkas' DHS to release to the interior "almost 96 percent of the 278,431 individuals who applied on the app." Mayorkas is either playing games with the data or expects that most Americans have not yet experienced enough personal pain to notice.
Shockingly, Green points out, "Mayorkas isn't telling the whole story." There was only a temporary drop in June, he says, "following the end of Title 42 public health order." It would appear, however, that was only because drug cartels were "testing the waters" by "seeing who's released into the U.S. and who is getting deported." Well, that proved to be good intelligence, according to Green, because Border Patrol agents recorded 99,538 apprehensions along the southwest border in June. Then, in July, apprehensions shot up to 132,642 individuals, then in August to 181,054, and another increase of 218,763 individuals in September. Green says Mayorkas' policy of "mass catch and release" is responsible for the increases. Homeland security's reporting "shows that if they are not removed within a year," history shows they will probably never be removed, explains Green.
Mayorkas is gaslighting. While he has been in charge, "CBP has recorded more than 6.2 million encounters at the southwest border, and more than 7.5 million nationwide. Green is right; we are at a "tipping point." And yet, no one who can change the trajectory seems to care. Green hopes Americans will support H.R.2, the Secure Border Act, which has yet to pass in the Senate. I suspect things will only change when more Americans truly understand that what happens at the border does not stay at the border. It will soon be at your doorstep.
