A migrant on the terror watchlist was accidentally released into the United States by Customs and Border Protection agents due to “ineffective practices” that led to “multiple mistakes,” a new report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General found.
The redacted report, released in late June, discovered that CBP allowed a migrant into the country without first providing all necessary information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Terrorist Screening Center, which would have been able to verify whether the individual was on the terror watchlist.
Border Patrol agents initially apprehended the individual and their family on April 17, 2022, in Yuma, Arizona. After running the migrant’s information through the Terrorist Watchlist, agents received an inconclusive match and were asked to coordinate an interview to gather additional information. However, CBP sent the interview request to the incorrect email address, and consequently, the migrant was not interviewed.
Two days after the migrant’s apprehension, CBP released the individual into the U.S.
“This occurred because CBP’s ineffective practices and processes for resolving inconclusive matches with the Terrorist Watchlist led to multiple mistakes,” the DHS OIG’s report stated. “For example, CBP sent a request to interview the migrant to the wrong email address, obtained information requested by the TSC but never shared it, and released the migrant before fully coordinating with the TSC.”
Agents in Yuma reported that they failed to prevent the individual from entering the country because they “did not have an adequate method to flag … for individuals with inconclusive Terrorist Watchlist matches.”
Additionally, officials reported that the Yuma processing center was “over capacity following an increase in apprehensions, which created pressure to quickly process migrants and decreased the time available to review each file.”
After being released in the U.S., the migrant and their family attempted to board a flight to Tampa, Florida, at the Palm Springs International Airport, where pre-flight screening revealed the individual was on the terror watchlist.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement was informed, and agents began attempting to locate the individual for arrest. However, the report revealed that ICE also “faced multiple challenges sharing information” within the agency. It took ICE more than two weeks to locate and apprehend the migrant.
The DHS OIG’s report concluded, “If CBP’s ineffective practices for resolving inconclusive Terrorist Watchlist matches continue, the component risks releasing individuals into the United States who potentially threaten national security and public safety.”
A DHS spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation, “This OIG report sensationalizes and mischaracterizes a complex case, in which CBP and ICE personnel took appropriate steps to ensure there was no threat to the public.”
“Noncitizens encountered by CBP are thoroughly screened and vetted, and any individual determined to pose a threat to national security or public safety is detained,” the spokesperson continued. “The Department of Homeland Security is committed to protecting the American people and safeguarding our borders, and the Department is constantly working to improve information sharing and execute our vital mission.”
*Article From: The Blaze