Jordanian Migrant Linked to Terror Suspicions Caught Crossing Northern Border
A 41-year-old Jordanian national, Mohammad Hasan Abdellatif Albana, was deported from the United States on November 15 after Border Patrol agents apprehended him near Lynden, Washington, at the northern border.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) disclosed this development on Wednesday, describing Albana as a potential security threat. Details about when and where Albana initially entered the country remain unclear.
Drew H. Bostock, the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) director in Seattle, emphasized the agency’s commitment to safeguarding U.S. national security. “Our officers perform these removals dutifully as part of a federal law enforcement effort to protect Pacific Northwest communities,” Bostock stated.
The incident highlights a broader issue under the Biden administration, where record numbers of individuals on the terror watchlist have been intercepted at both southern and northern borders. Federal data shows that Border Patrol agents have detained 300 migrants linked to the terror watchlist in recent years.
In August, agents apprehended Omar Shehada, a 35-year-old Palestinian on the watchlist for alleged involvement with explosives and arms for an unnamed terror organization, at the New Mexico border.
Similarly, in July, authorities near San Diego detained three Palestinian migrants and one Turkish national, all identified as suspected members of an unnamed terror group, according to a leaked memo.
Sources within Border Patrol have expressed concerns over the immense challenges of vetting amidst surging migrant numbers, leading to instances where individuals with potential terror affiliations were inadvertently released into the U.S.
Earlier this year, eight Tajik nationals suspected of ISIS ties and alleged plans to attack LGBTQ individuals in Philadelphia were mistakenly released during a multi-state operation. Federal authorities are still working to locate additional members of the group.