Biden Admin Changes Policy After ICE Released Suspected Terrorist

The Biden Administration is changing its border policy after an immigration judge released Mohammad Kharwin on bond without knowing he was a suspected terrorist. The Afghan migrant is on the FBI's national terrorist watchlist, which indicates he is a member of Hezb-e-Islami, a paramilitary and political group that the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization.

Key Details: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is giving asylum officers and immigration judges more access to classified information in order to determine which migrants might have connections to terrorist groups or pose a public safety threat. The officers and judges will no longer have to get approval from the DHS secretary to share classified information.

Key Quote: “Over the last five years, we have seen a significant shift in the way transnational criminal organizations are becoming increasingly involved in the movement of people in our hemisphere, most concerningly people from the Eastern hemisphere,” a DHS official said. 

For Context: On April 11th, NBC News (Lean Left bias) reported that Kharwin, 48, was initially apprehended by Border Patrol in March 2023, but was released until another arrest in February 2024. A Texas immigration judge released him on bond in March, reportedly because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prosecutors withheld classified information that showed him to be a possible national security risk. Kharwin was arrested by ICE again in April. Recently, Republicans members of Congress have criticized the Biden administration's refusal to release information about those on the terror watchlist who have been encountered at the southern border.

How the Media Covered It: NBC News and Politico (Lean Left bias) were the only national sources on the left or in the center to cover Kharwin's entry into the United States. Local sources and right-rated national news outlets covered the story more prominently. Update 5/28/24 11:44 pm ET: Made minor corrections on which immigration agencies were involved in the story.