(NewsNation) — This year marked a record high in the number of individuals on the terror watchlist crossing into the United States from both the northern and southern borders.
According to new data released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for fiscal year 2023, the southwest border with Mexico saw 169 encounters which was up by 72% from 98 encounters last year for non-U.S. citizens. The northern border saw 484 encounters, an increase of 54% from last year with 313 encounters of all nationalities.
The Terrorist Screening Dataset often referred to as the “watchlist,” contains sensitive information about individuals who are known or suspected to be involved in terrorist activities.
Victor Manjarrez a former Tucson Sector Border Patrol Chief with decades of border experience said he worries more about the people not found.
“I suspect within that mix of the getaways it’s a greater proportion of people on the terror watch list,” he told KVOA. “Anyone on the terror watch list doesn’t mean that they are a terrorist,” he clarified.
This database originally started as a compilation of information on individuals with links to terrorism, but it has evolved over the past decade to also include individuals who may pose a potential threat to the United States, including those who are associated with individuals already on the watchlist.
“Encounters of watchlisted individuals at our borders are very uncommon, underscoring the critical work CBP Agents and Officers carry out every day on the frontlines. DHS works tirelessly to secure our borders through a combination of highly trained personnel, ground and aerial monitoring systems, and robust intelligence and information sharing networks,” the website reads about the dataset.
KVOA received the following statement from the Department of Homeland Security:
“While we do not have specific and credible intelligence indicating a threat to the United States at this time stemming from the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, DHS is closely monitoring unfolding events and will continue to engage in information sharing with our intelligence and law enforcement partners at home and abroad. This information sharing helps ensure that we are positioned to help mitigate any risks to national security or public safety.”
When non-citizen individuals who are on the watchlist are encountered by the CBP Office of Field Operations at land ports of entry before they can enter the United States, they may be denied entry, unless they can provide a valid reason for their presence in the country, as per CBP policy, according to the website.
The southwest border for all nationalities saw 80 encounters which was a 19 percent increase from 67 encounters last year.
In cases where individuals on the TSDS are encountered by Border Patrol after having entered the country without going through the standard inspection process, these individuals may be detained and, to the extent allowed by CBP policy, deported or handed over to another government agency for further detention or law enforcement actions, as appropriate, the website explains.