WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, the House Committee on Homeland Security, led by Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN), held its annual Worldwide Threats hearing to examine ongoing threats to the homeland. Witnesses included Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, and National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Director Christine Abizaid.

Director Wray confirmed the national security threat posed by the nearly 1.8 million gotaways and the rising number of individuals on the terrorist watchlist apprehended crossing the Southwest border, as well as the more 7.8 million individuals encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since Biden and Mayorkas took office. Mayorkas could not confirm whether every suspected terrorist that crosses the Southwest border illegally is detained by CBP, and throughout his testimony, consistently refused to answer direct questions about the national security consequences of his open-borders policies. 

Here’s What the Media Is Saying About the Hearing:

Adam Shaw and Brooke Singman via Fox News:  FBI Director Wray says border gotaways a source of ‘great concern’ for agency

“FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday said that the number of illegal immigrants evading Border Patrol agents and escaping into the country is a source of “great concern” for the agency, as he told lawmakers that threats from the other side of the border are “consuming” FBI field offices.

“Wray testified to lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee about “worldwide threats” to the U.S. Chairman Mark Green asked Wray about the numbers of gotaways — illegal immigrants at the border who evaded Border Patrol — which have exceeded 600,000 in FY 23. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources tell Fox News there have been over 47,000 gotaways since the beginning of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1.

“Green said the number of gotaways since the beginning of the Biden administration could be well over two million.”

Brooke Singman and Adam Shaw via Fox News: House Homeland Chair Green to warn US is at ‘one of the most dangerous times’ in history during threat hearing

“House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green is expected to warn that the present is “one of the most dangerous times in the history of the United States” during his panel’s hearing Wednesday focused on worldwide threats.

“The hearing Wednesday will begin at 9 a.m. and will feature testimony from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid.

“Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a copy of Green’s opening statement, in which he warns that security challenges to the United States in the midst of the war between Israel and Hamas are ‘becoming more dynamic each day.’

“‘I do not say this lightly; this is one of the most dangerous times in the history of the United States,’ Green, R-Tenn., will say, according to his prepared remarks.”

Brooke Singman via Fox News: Wray warns lone actors ‘inspired’ by foreign terrorists, radicalized online are ‘greatest threat’ to US

“The ‘greatest threat to the homeland’ is U.S.-based lone actors or small groups who are radicalized online and ‘inspired’ by foreign terrorists, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday, warning that the United States is in a ‘heightened threatenvironment.’

“Wray, alongside Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid, testified Wednesday at the House Homeland Security Committee’s hearing dedicated to worldwide threats.

“Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., opened the hearing by warning that the United States is facing ‘one of the most dangerous times’ in the country’s history.”

Adam Goldman and Eileen Sullivan via The New York Times: FBI Ramps Up Investigations of Hamas

“Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, said on Wednesday that the bureau had opened a slew of investigations into Hamas as it tries to thwart potential attacks and stymie financial support for the militant group.

“‘We also have a large number of tips and leads related specifically to Hamas and radicalization and recruitment,’ Mr. Wray said in testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security about worldwide threats to the United States. ‘We are urgently running down every tip and lead.’

“He added, ‘We cannot — and do not — discount the possibility that Hamas or another foreign terrorist organization may exploit the current conflict to conduct attacks here, on our own soil.’”

Spencer Brown via Townhall: Congressman warns this is one of the most dangerous times in the history of United States

“On Wednesday morning, Green opened a hearing on worldwide threats to the homeland by explaining why this is ‘one of the most dangerous times in the history of the United States,’ a declaration he said he did not make lightly. Among the ‘greatest threats’ he identified are ‘an open and lawless Southwest border,’ ‘the rising threat of terrorism; rogue nation-state actors and criminal elements seeking to do us harm,’ and ‘efforts by foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party to target our critical infrastructure.’ Those threats come in addition to ‘the wars in Israel and Ukraine, and rising Chinese aggression in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea,’ Green reminded.

“Noting that ‘the Biden administration has systematically dismantled our nation’s border security and created the worst border crisis in American history,’ Green explained the result: ‘people tested the system, were released into the country, called home, and millions more came… Worse, as acknowledged by AG Garland, the drug cartels have taken advantage of this policy shift, and executed a strategy pushing mass waves of people to tie up border patrol and then bypassed with thousands of pounds of fentanyl killing Americans at an unprecedented rate.’”

“Unprecedented and record-setting. As Green emphasized, the ‘number of illegal immigrants who entered our country since President Biden took office is greater than the population of 33 of our states.’ All the while, ‘violent Mexican cartels are making record profits’ to the tune of ‘an estimated $13 billion a year.’”

Robert Legare via CBS News: Law enforcement has “multiple investigations into individuals affiliated” with Hamas, FBI director tells Congress

“The head of the FBI told Congress Wednesday that federal law enforcement officials have launched “multiple investigations into individuals affiliated” with Hamas since the terrorist group attacked Israel last month, but they have not seen evidence of a specific credible threat.

“The most immediate concerns, he said, include ‘homegrown violent extremists’ inspired by terrorist groups and ‘domestic violent extremists targeting Jewish Americans or other faith communities.’ 

“FBI Director Chris Wray is testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, alongside Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Christine Abizaid, director of the National Counterterrorism Center. 

“‘In a year where the terrorism threat was already elevated, the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole ‘nother level. Since Oct. 7, we’ve seen a rogue’s gallery of foreign terrorist organizations call for attacks against Americans and our allies,’ Wray told the committee in his opening remarks. He added, ‘Given those calls for action, our most immediate concern is that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home.’

“Since the Hamas attacks on Israel — and Israel’s subsequent strikes against the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip — the FBI director has said the U.S. intelligence community has been most concerned about lone-wolf style assailants, inspired by the terrorist group, targeting Western nations — and this after Hamas, al-Qaeda, and ISIS have issued calls to action.”

Cami Mondeaux via The Washington Examiner: Mayorkas in the hot seat as he testifies before Congress days after impeachment vote

“Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was back in the hot seat as Republicans questioned the Biden administration official over his handling of the southern border just days after he avoided an impeachment vote in the House.

“Mayorkas appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday to testify about foreign threats to the United States as lawmakers continue their investigation into whether the border official has violated his oath to maintain the southern border.

“Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was back in the hot seat as Republicans questioned the Biden administration official over his handling of the southern border just days after he avoided an impeachment vote in the House.

“Mayorkas appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday to testify about foreign threats to the United States as lawmakers continue their investigation into whether the border official has violated his oath to maintain the southern border.”

John Binder via Breitbart: FBI Director Wray Confirms Illegal Alien Terrorists Have Slipped into U.S. Through Southern Border

“During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Wray seemingly acknowledged that illegal aliens on the federal government’s “Terrorist Watch List” are ending up in the U.S. after arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The admission from Wray comes as the latest Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data reveals that 13 illegal aliens on the Terrorist Watch List were encountered at the nation’s border in October — more than the total number apprehended from 2018 through 2020, when former President Donald Trump was in office.

“Most recently, as Breitbart News detailed, an illegal alien — wanted for terrorism in Senegal — was released into the U.S. interior by Biden’s DHS after crossing the border. Soon after his release, the FBI notified DHS that the illegal alien was, in fact, wanted for terrorism.

The illegal alien was then arrested just blocks from One World Trade Center in New York City. He remains in DHS custody pending deportation.”

Joshua Caplan via Breitbart: FBI’s Wray: Feds Have Launched Investigations into Individuals Affiliated with Hamas

“Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray told Congressional lawmakers on Wednesday evening that federal law enforcement officials have opened various investigations into individuals ‘affiliated’ with Hamas in the wake of the Palestinian terror organization’s unprecedented attack on Israel last month.

“Wray, speaking before the House Homeland Security Committee, said the FBI is focused on ‘homegrown violent extremists’ that are sympathetic to terror organizations akin to Hamas, along with ‘domestic violent extremists targeting Jewish Americans or other faith communities.’

“Wray testified with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Christine Abizaid, who serves as director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

The FBI chief warned in October of the possibility of a lone-wolf style attack on United States soil–a threat which has been heightened following Hamas’s call for Muslims worldwide to stage a ‘Day of Jihad,’ or holy war.”

Virginia Allen via The Daily Signal: Threat of Attack Against US Has Reached a ‘Whole ‘Nother Level’ FBI Director Tells Congress

“Foreign terrorists are more likely to attack the United States, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

“‘In a year where the terrorism threat was already elevated, the ongoing war in the Middle East has raised the threat of an attack against Americans in the United States to a whole ‘nother level,’ Wray said.  

“‘Since October 7th, we’ve seen a rogue’s gallery of foreign terrorist organizations call for attacks against Americans and our allies,’ Wray told the House Homeland Security Committee during a Wednesday hearing on Capitol Hill.  

“The hearing, titled ‘Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,’ centered on the threats America faces and how the current border crisis may have left the U.S. more vulnerable to deadly threats.  

“Wray testified alongside Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Christine Abizaid.  

“Over the course of the last three fiscal years, Customs and Border Protection has encountered 286 illegal aliens on America’s terrorist watchlist between ports of entry on the country’s southern and northern borders.  

“The terrorist watchlist includes ‘individuals who represent a potential threat to the United States, including known affiliates of watchlisted individuals,’ according to Customs and Border Protection. The government’s chart below refers to the watchlist by the acronym TSDS.

“‘This is one of the most dangerous times in the history of the United States,’ Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee, chairman of the committee, said at the hearing. Green pointed to the border policies of the Biden administration as a key reason for the current threat level, adding that President Joe Biden’s border policies can be compared to ‘a college town bar that doesn’t card. Before long, they have a line out the door.’”

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