WASHINGTON – Following new reports of terror threats infiltrating the southern border, Congressman Lance Gooden (R-TX) is demanding action from Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
In letters to Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken Gooden highlighted alarming statistics on illegal crossings and the apprehension of "special interest aliens," pressing for an immediate strategic plan to secure the border and ensure the safety of American citizens.
Internal data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), revealed that between official entry points from October 2021 to October 2023, agents intercepted 6,386 Afghans, 3,153 Egyptians, 659 Iranians, and 538 Syrians. The 2023 fiscal year saw a record-breaking 151 individuals on the FBI terror watch list encountered at the southern border between designated ports, surpassing the total of the preceding six years combined.
Read the letter to the State Department here. Read the letter to the Department of Homeland Security here.
Co-signers on the letter to the State Department: Byron Donalds (FL), Stephanie Bice (OK), Andy Ogles (TN), Ralph Norman (SC), Matthew Rosendale (MT), Brian Babin (TX), Keith Self (TX), George Santos (NY), Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (TN), Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX), Chip Roy (TX), Cory Mills (FL), Michael Waltz (FL), Nicole Malliotakis (NY), Mary Miller (IL), Pete Sessions (TX), Josh Brecheen (OK), Pete Stauber (MN)
Co-signers on the letter to the Department of Homeland Security: Byron Donalds (FL), Stephanie Bice (OK), Andy Ogles (TN), Ralph Norman (SC), Matthew Rosendale (MT), Brian Babin (TX), Ron Estes (KS), Keith Self (TX), George Santos (NY), Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (TN), Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX), Chip Roy (TX), Cory Mills (FL), Michael Waltz (FL), Nicole Malliotakis (NY), Mary Miller (IL), Virginia Foxx (NC - DHS LETTER ONLY), Pete Sessions (TX), Josh Brecheen (OK), Pete Stauber (MN)