Border patrol officers arrested 1,504 Iranian nationals at the southern border under the Biden administration, and released 729 of those arrested back into the U.S. (Nicolo Filippo Rosso/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
It is unclear how many of the Iranians released into the U.S. were on the terrorism watchlist, as the Biden administration repeatedly denied Fox News’ Freedom of Information Act requests and appeals for the data. The Biden administration cited "privacy concerns" of the people on the list, as well as "minimal public interest" for denying the requests.
Still, there were over 2 million known gotaways at the border during the Biden administration, and because they were never caught, there is no way of knowing where the individuals were from.
All Iranians are considered "special interest aliens" because of national security concerns. Therefore, they are supposed to receive enhanced vetting from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN REVEALS UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS IN TRUMP'S BORDER STRATEGY
President Biden's border patrol released 729 Iranian nationals into the U.S. during his presidency, from 2021-2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta and Fox News)
The bulletin points to law enforcement within the U.S. disrupting "multiple potentially lethal Iranian-backed plots" since 2020, while noting the Iranian government’s unsuccessful attempts to target critics of its regime.
The advisory comes after Trump ordered military strikes on Iran’s key nuclear facilities in what officials are calling "Operation Midnight Hammer," prompting law enforcement to be on high alert regarding the threat of foreign adversary operatives conducting an attack on U.S. soil, with thousands of Iranian nationals previously crossing over the border.
"Because of the open borders, we are at a serious catch-up phase," Former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker told Fox News Digital. "We don't know where those thousand Iranians are and who knows how many others got across the border. We missed an opportunity when they caught and released those thousand. We missed the opportunity to gather intel by interviewing them and thoroughly vetting them. We just simply let them go, which is gross negligence on the part of the Biden administration."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The possibility of foreign cells carrying out a domestic terror plot was pushed into the national spotlight last year after federal prosecutors announced a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and two U.S.-nationals were arrested for allegedly plotting to murder then-President-elect Trump and a U.S. citizen critical of the Iranian regime.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita, Danielle Wallace and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/over-700-iranian-nationals-released-us-during-biden-administration-despite-terrorism-concerns