Concerns are most acute in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, such as California or Massachusetts, that have policies or, in the case of Los Angeles, populations that are actively obstructing federal immigration authorities from carrying out deportations. (iStock and Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
NBC News reported that Iran sent a message to Trump at the G7 summit last week that it could activate "sleeper cells" to conduct terror attacks in the U.S.
"We have to assume threats may arise," Lora Ries, a director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital.
Ries said that while the government is aware of 729 Iranian illegal immigrants being released into the country under Biden, the real concern is that "we have no idea" how many unknown "gotaways" there could be in the U.S. presently.
She said the concerns are most acute in so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that have policies or, in the case of Los Angeles, populations that are actively obstructing federal immigration authorities from carrying out deportations.
MIDNIGHT HAMMER IS 'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED' BUT THERE'S ONE BIG RED FLAG
Smokes raises from a building of the Soroka hospital complex after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran in Be'er Sheva, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. (Leo Correa/AP Photo)
"Fortunately, DNI [the Director of National Intelligence] should have an idea of what potential targets in the future are. DNI is not going to share that publicly, but all that should flow down through DHS to state and local law enforcement agencies," he explained.
"The problem is that right now, we have all these state and local law-enforcement agencies and sanctuary jurisdictions that really aren't cooperating with DHS," he said. "That could create its own vulnerability."
"It compounds the risk," he went on. "Particularly in California, because I think a lot of law enforcement agencies in California are confused about what they can do and can't do under SB-54 — the California Values Act — so it could potentially create its own vulnerability."
That being said, Arthur said an Iranian-sponsored terror attack inside the U.S. would likely be a "suicidal move" for the regime and would likely be a "last desperate move." Even so, Arthur said there remains a "real concern" about Iranian-sponsored terror attacks inside America’s borders.
Other potential mass casualty targets could be places such as the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Times Square, Independence Hall in Philadelphia or other highly populated, open areas. (Caitlin Ochs/Reuters)
Other potential mass casualty targets could be places such as the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Times Square, Independence Hall in Philadelphia or other highly populated, open areas.
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"The threat is real. Whether they're going to use it is a different question," he concluded, adding, "The Biden administration exposed the American people to an unacceptable level of threat."
On Monday evening, Trump posted on social media that "it has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE … for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!"
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner and Fox News Channel's Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hospitals-sanctuary-cities-could-most-vulnerable-iran-terror-attacks-warns-expert