Terror-watch list encounters at U.S.-Mexico border on the rise 

Border Patrol agents have encountered a large number of migrants on the FBI’s terror watchlist attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border this fiscal year, on pace to break last year’s record, according to new data released by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

So far in Fiscal Year 2023, which began in October of last year, Border Patrol agents have encountered at least 69 undocumented migrants at the southern border who are on the FBI’s terror watchlist. 

The figure is on pace to exceed the record-breaking terror watchlist encounters last year, which were 98. In comparison, there were only eight watch list encounters between Fiscal Years 2017 and 2020 and 15 in 2021. 

In February alone, Border Patrol agents stopped 16 individuals on the terror watch list trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Between the northern and southern borders, CBP’s Office of Field Operations has encountered 214 individuals on the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) this fiscal year. Agents apprehended 380 individuals on the list in 2021, and 196 in 2020. 

The figures come as a record-breaking 2.4 million undocumented migrants were arrested at the border during Fiscal Year 2022. Similarly, Fiscal Year 2023 is on pace to break the record with more than 762,000 border apprehensions recorded by the CBP since October. In comparison, Fiscal Year 2021 saw 1.7 million undocumented migrants crossing the border. 

The numbers were released soon after Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told the House Homeland Security Committee that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not have operational control of the border.