Terror Wake Up Call Too Late As Open Borders Have Left Us Vulnerable

ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks seem to be on the rise, and some experts are concerned it may get worse.

With over 10 million illegal immigrants -- many with unknown backgrounds and identities -- spread across the country, Americans are already on edge. And with this surplus of illegal crossings has also come a significant increase in violent crime. During Biden's presidency, immigration was a major point of contention within the country. The ISIS-inspired terrorist attack on New Year's Day in New Orleans only added fuel to the flames of tension and fear.

In a Sunday interview with ABC News, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas went public with his concern that more ISIS-inspired attacks could come. "We have not only the persistent threat of foreign terrorism ... but we have adverse nation-states, and for the past 10 years, we've seen a significant increase in what we term 'homegrown violent extremism,'" Mayorkas stated. 

He went on to explain how the attack in New Orleans was "not an issue of the border." However, he did emphasize that "we as a community -- not just the federal government, but state and local officials and residents -- need to be alert to it and take the precautions necessary to avoid violence from occurring" due to "a very difficult threat landscape."

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman emeritus of the House Homeland Security Committee, also weighed in. There's been a "resurgence of ISIS in Afghanistan and Pakistan" that "concerns him greatly." According to McCaul, it's important to "pay attention to ... social media and connect the dots before these events happen," since the online platforms appear to be where much of the inspiration for these attacks begins. "You really have two types of threats," he explained. "One is operational, the other one is inspired attacks radicalized over the internet. They're both equally lethal, and they need to be focused on to stop it."

While the officials hash out their concerns, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) shared during an interview over the weekend that at least 50 illegal immigrants have gone missing -- immigrants smuggled into the U.S. by an ISIS-affiliated network. He stated, "We have got to get down to the reality of the matter that we have had 400 ISIS smuggled people coming into our country that the Department of Homeland Security told us about last summer. And 50 of them, we don't know where they are." He added, "We don't know who they are or where they are. And we have to take that more seriously." According to Banks, "President Trump will do that."

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Robert Maginnis, Family Research Council's senior fellow for National Defense, shared with The Washington Stand that he's not surprised by the increased concerns flooding in related to illegal immigrants and potential future attacks. "We've had an open southern border for the past four years thanks to President Biden," he observed. "Further, his public statements about our willingness to welcome the world to America was an open invitation for all sorts of people to abandon their homes and seek refuge in the United States."

According to Maginnis, "It is especially concerning that our enemies -- terrorist groups and nation states -- have taken advantage of our open border vulnerability." When it comes to the warnings Mayorkas and others have offered, Maginnis stated that there's "no doubt many terrorists of all stripes have been part of the phalanx of foreigners who entered this land and some no doubt have nefarious intentions."

He continued to address how "Americans who watched as those airliners crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11 will no doubt wonder what sort of insanity possessed the Biden administration to throw open our borders. ... Clearly, the attack in New Orleans and the recent one at a German Christmas market remind us that the terror threat is far from over." And "given the unsettled nature of much of the world, there are many individuals and groups, some here in the USA, who are ready and at some future time will strike a deadly blow against unsuspecting Americans."

Moving forward, Maginnis urged, "The Trump administration must quickly round up those hiding in our midst that intend to do harm. Certainly, the new border czar, Tom Homan, understands the threat from both terrorists and illegal criminals." He also addressed how "the difficulty with homegrown terrorists," which Mayorkas highlighted, "is they too have First Amendment rights to disagree with anyone. But that does not justify violence."

Maginnis concluded, "Bottom line: We have terrorists that enter our shores with the intent of creating fear because ... they hate America. There are also others who may be legally here or even citizens who get caught up in a radical ideology that spurs them into violence. But both groups must be identified and stopped before they carry out their violent intentions."

Originally published at The Washington Stand