EXCLUSIVE: Nearly 100 illegal immigrants on the terror watch list have been released into the United States during the Biden administration, while Border Patrol agents have encountered migrants on the watch list from dozens of different countries, a new House report is revealing.
"Under the Biden-Harris Administration, of the more than 250 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist who were encountered by Border Patrol at the southwest border between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, DHS has released into American communities at least 99, with at least 34 others in DHS custody but not yet removed from the United States," the report by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, a copy of which was first obtained by Fox News Digital, says.
The staff interim report also found that immigration judges granted bond to at least 27 migrants on the watchlist who entered illegally, and that Border Patrol has encountered tens of thousands of migrants from countries that could present national security risks – including 2,134 Afghan nationals, 33,347 Chinese nationals, 541 Iranian nationals, 520 Syrian nationals, and 3,104 Uzbek nationals.
"That does not include the untold numbers of potential terrorists that evaded Border Patrol to enter the United States as part of nearly 2 million ‘gotaways’ since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration," the report says.
The report, citing information provided to committee staff in June, also found that Border Patrol had encountered migrants on the terror watchlist from 36 different countries -- including places with active terror presences. Those countries include Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan and Yemen.
AUTHORITIES NAB 8 SUSPECTED TERRORISTS WITH TIES TO ISIS IN MULTI-CITY STING OPERATION
The Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS) contains sensitive information on terrorist identities. It initially contained only known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) but now also includes additional individuals who represent a "potential threat to the United States, including known affiliates of watchlisted individuals."
The concern about potential terrorists has grown amid the ongoing crisis at the southern border, where record numbers of migrants have been encountered since the Biden administration took office in 2021. The number of encounters on the watchlist has grown significantly as well, with the committee report finding a more than 3,000% increase of encounters.
The Biden administration has accused Republicans of not providing enough funding and reforms to a "broken" system, while Republicans have put the crisis down to the rolling back of Trump-era policies by the Democratic administration.
But officials have warned about the risk that terrorists may seek to enter in through the southern border. That was on display when DHS identified over 400 individuals brought to the U.S. from Eastern European and Central Asian countries by an ISIS-affiliated smuggling network in the past several months.
ICE SOUNDS ALARM ON WHAT MIGRANTS ARE FAILING TO BRING TO BORDER AS FEARS MOUNT AFTER ISIS ARRESTS
That came after eight Tajikistan nationals with ties to ISIS were busted by federal authorities in New York City, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. All eight came in via the southern border illegally, but no derogatory information was flagged during processing, sources told Fox.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS
The Judiciary Committee report revealed that of those eight Tajikistan nationals, three were released after using the CBP One phone application to schedule an appointment and four were encountered by Border Patrol.
"Although American communities already feel the disastrous effects of the Biden-Harris Administration’s immigration policies, the worst could still be yet to come," the staff interim report alleges.
"With national security experts and immigration officials increasingly concerned about the threat of terrorism originating from the border, it is clear that policymakers must take all necessary steps to secure the border and stop the flow of illegal aliens. However, the Biden-Harris Administration has refused to address the national security nightmare created by its radical, open-borders agenda," it said.
Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
