Record number of illegal immigrants with terrorist ties stopped at US border

Terrorist watch list stops have soared at U.S. borders in fiscal year 2023. 

According to data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Saturday there have been a total of 736 terrorist suspects stopped at the border in that period. 

The data shows that 564 of those encounters occurred at land border ports of entry while 172 encounters occurred between ports of entry.

By comparison, fiscal year 2020 saw a total of 199 terrorist suspects stopped at the border, and in FY 2021 the total was 173. In FY 2022 the total was 478. 

Data also shows that Border Patrol agents have arrested roughly two million people who attempted to enter the U.S. unlawfully through either Canada or Mexico in fiscal year 2023.

A total of 3.2 million non-U.S. citizens attempted to enter the country illegally or be paroled into the country at different ports of entry.

However, only 1.1 million came through ports of entry, while 2.06 million entered illegally around those ports of entry. That figure does not include the "gotaways."

This marks the second time ever that crossings have topped the 1986 record of 1.692 million, according to the Washington Examiner. 

"In response to high rates of encounters across the southwest border in September, CBP surged resources and personnel. We are continually engaging with domestic and foreign partners to address historic hemispheric migration, including large migrant groups traveling on freight trains, and to enforce consequences including by preparing for direct repatriations to Venezuela,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller in a press release.