Senator calls on Biden and DHS to reveal information on terrorist encounters at the southern border amidst Israel-Hamas conflict

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall emphasized the importance of transparency from federal agencies regarding terrorist encounters at the U.S. southern border. He expressed his concerns about the lack of information provided to the public and lawmakers regarding individuals on terrorist and alien watch lists attempting to cross the border during his interview on “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy.”

Marshall revealed alarming statistics, stating, “We’ve encountered over 170 terrorists on the terrorist watch list in the past year. In the past two years, thousands of people on the alien watch list as well, 2,000 Chinese nationals on this watch list have crossed the border as well.”

He called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to disclose these encounters in order to prioritize public safety. Marshall requested DHS to provide details such as the whereabouts and identities of these individuals, if they are still in the country, and if they were caught and released.

Gowdy echoed Marshall’s concerns and questioned the reasoning behind the Biden administration’s decision to keep this information confidential. He asked, “Who in the world could object to knowing whether terrorists are trying to cross our borders? I mean, what is the argument against that?”

Marshall criticized Secretary Mayorkas, labeling him as “incompetent” and accusing President Biden of intentionally allowing illegal border crossings for political gain. He stated, “[Biden] thinks that those are future votes for the Democrat Party. He wants this crisis, and it’s hard for me to understand why in the middle of this situation, the crisis in Israel, that he would try to leverage that for money in Ukraine, as well as making the border even more porous.”

According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) statistics, a record 169 people on the FBI terror watch lists were encountered between ports of entry at the southern border in the past 12 months.

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FOX News’ Adam Shaw and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

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Christopher Lopez is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital. He joined Fox News in 2021.