National Security Threats Linked to the Biden-Era Border Crisis

A new episode of Parsing Immigration Policy features a wide-ranging conversation on national security threats tied to the historic surge of illegal immigration during the Biden administration. Host Andrew Arthur, the Center’s Fellow in Law and Policy and a former immigration judge, interviews Mark Morgan, a former FBI agent who also served as Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In the episode, Morgan warns that the unprecedented number of illegal entries during the last administration created serious vulnerabilities for the United States. Under President Biden, 10.5 to 12 million inadmissible aliens were encountered at the border, most of whom were released into the United States. In addition, an estimated 1.5 to 1.8 million “got aways” - individuals observed crossing the border illegally but never apprehended -entered the country.

“These are individuals we know nothing about, and the most difficult threats to stop are lone actors or small cells,” Morgan explains.

Morgan emphasizes that border security is inseparable from national security, particularly as intelligence officials are warning of an elevated terrorism threat environment. The FBI and the broader intelligence community have described the current threat landscape as the most complex since the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

The discussion also addresses concerns about potential Iranian sleeper cells and terrorist proxies following escalating tensions involving the Islamic Republic of Iran. Morgan explains that the Iranian regime was responsible for more American deaths than any other organization, and that they have historically relied on proxy groups such as Hezbollah to carry out attacks against U.S. interests.

Arthur and Morgan also examine emerging threats from foreign adversaries, including concerns surrounding the entry of more than 200,000 Chinese nationals during the Biden administration and the broader risks posed by individuals arriving from 163 different countries, including individuals on the terrorist watchlist and thousands of “Special Interest Aliens” who entered daily from nations known to facilitate terrorism.

Morgan concludes that the long-term consequences of the border crisis will continue to impact U.S. national security for years to come, underscoring the need for stronger enforcement, improved vetting, and policies that restore integrity to the immigration system.

Host

Art Arthur is the Resident Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies

Guest

Mark Morgan isa former FBI agent who also served as Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Related

Mark Morgan's new book, The Biden Border Crisis

Operation Midnight Hammer and Threat of Iranian Sleeper Cells

Thousands of Special Interest Aliens Posing Potential Security Risks Entering via CBP One App

How to Lower the Risk of New Terror Strikes by Border-Crossing Islamist Extremists

Biden Administration Secretly Let in Thousands of Unvetted Migrants from ‘Countries of National Security Concern’

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".