U.S. officials arrest several immigrants with possible ties to terrorism

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, working with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces, took several immigrants into custody in recent days, federal officials said. Proceedings to deport the immigrants are pending, according to a joint statement WORLD obtained from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

How did they get into the country? The eight immigrants did not raise any red flags during the U.S. government’s screening process before entering the United States, The Associated Press reported. The men were from Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan, and entered the United States through its southern border in 2023 and 2024, ABC News reported, citing an unnamed source.

Why were they arrested? The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force began monitoring the immigrants as part of an investigation into a possible terrorism threat in Europe, sources told NBC News. The FBI told the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that the men should be arrested because of potential ties to the terrorist group ISIS, NBC said, but the men were arrested on immigration charges. They could face terrorist-related charges later, according to NBC.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report unpacking President Joe Biden’s U.S. southern border crackdown.