Five migrants who were on the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) watch list were arrested by Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector of the United States Border Patrol after the end of Title 42. This happened in a single border sector on Friday. A source within Customs and Border Protection who was not authorized to speak to the media stated that the migrants were referred to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task for further investigation and identity confirmation.
According to the source, foreign nationals were arrested on Friday for illegally crossing the border and trying to avoid detection. These arrests took place in various incidents that occurred throughout the day and evening. However, there’s no information available regarding the demographics or nationalities of the migrants who were arrested.
The United States Customs and Border Protection report shows that this fiscal year, 80 migrants whose names are on the Terrorist Screening Database were caught after crossing the southwest border between ports of entry. Additionally, two more were caught after crossing the northern border with Canada.
The data pertains to migrants who were caught from October 2022 to March 2023. It should be noted that the migrants identified in the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) may not necessarily be the same as those who are thoroughly examined as coming from countries of special interest. The message is in English (US).
The FBI has a database called the Terrorist Screening Database which includes information on individuals that are suspected to be involved in terrorism or related activities. If someone’s name appears on this list, encounters with the Border Patrol will trigger a reporting process that alerts the FBI. This means that the person with a matching name will receive extra scrutiny to ensure that they are genuinely the same individual.
According to the source, the FBI’s JTTF investigation and follow-up interviews determine how DHS will handle the consequences for migrants after they have been initially processed.
The FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) is responsible for storing and sharing the terrorism watchlist information with law enforcement agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. However, the TSC does not verify an individual’s status on the watchlist. The FBI has stated that a vast majority of people on the watchlist are not U.S. citizens and have no apparent links with the United States.
According to a report by the CBP, more migrants have been appearing in the TSDB under the Biden administration compared to the Trump administration. While only 14 migrants in the TSDB were apprehended during Trump’s four fiscal years (FY 17 through FY 20), agents have apprehended 196 known or suspected terrorists on the list during FY 21, FY 22, and Year-to-Date FY 23 under Biden’s administration. The report does not include any arrests made on Friday.
In March, CBP made a statement about migrants on the TSDS list:
TSDS watchlisted individuals encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) after entering the country without inspection may be detained and removed, to the extent possible under CBP policy, or turned over to another government agency for subsequent detention or law enforcement action, as appropriate.
The TSDS originated as the consolidated terrorist watchlist to house information on known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) but has evolved over the last decade to include additional individuals who represent a potential threat to the United States, including known affiliates of watchlisted individuals.
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