Confirmed Al-Shabaab Member Roamed U.S. for Nearly a Year After Border Capture

Critics Question Border Security as Terror Watchlist Arrests Rise

A member of the Somali terror group al-Shabaab was caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in March 2023, but was released and roamed freely in the U.S. for nearly a year before being arrested in Minnesota in January 2024.
The Terrorist Screening Center initially deemed the individual a 'mismatch' after running his name through the terror watchlist, but made a redetermination in January 2024 that he was a confirmed member of al-Shabaab.
Border Patrol apprehended 172 terror watchlist suspects attempting to enter the U.S. illegally during fiscal year 2023, and 50 illegal immigrants on the terror watchlist between October and December 2023.
Retired ICE field director John Fabbricatore criticized the Biden administration's vetting process at the border, stating that terrorists are able to freely roam the U.S. for months after being released at the border before their criminal and terrorist histories come to light.
The incident has sparked criticism and concern over national security, with some accusing the Biden administration of endangering the nation by not enforcing immigration laws and securing the border.