Rep. Hinson calls for answers over release of suspected terrorist into US by Border Patrol

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FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, is calling for answers about why a suspected terrorist was released into the U.S. by Border Patrol — and why it took two weeks for him to be picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“I write today with grave concern over the state of our southern border, concern with the policies of this administration, and concern for the security of our country,” Hinson writes in a letter to acting ICE Director Tae Johnson, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

BORDER PATROL RELEASED SUSPECTED TERRORIST WHO CROSSED INTO US ILLEGALLY, ICE TOOK WEEKS TO REARREST HIM

Hinson was writing in response to Fox News’ reporting that the suspected terrorist, Isnardo Garcia-Amado, was released into the United States by Border Patrol agents on April 18 near Yuma, Arizona, and given a GPS monitoring device as an alternative to detention, according to a memo from a federal source obtained by Fox News.

Garcia-Amado, a Colombian citizen, was then flagged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Terrorist Screening Center on April 21, which determined he is a match on the terror watch list.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t receive authorization to arrest the individual until May 4, and he was arrested in Pinellas County, Florida, on May 6. He was released from the Pinellas County jail and transferred to ICE custody on May 9, according to the memo.

“This failure in communication and action is flat-out unacceptable,” Hinson writes. “Garcia-Amado should never been let into the country in the first place — he immediately should have been considered a threat to national security and detained for deportation. The administration’s failure to properly vet and detain him endangered Americans.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News that after receiving additional information about Garcia-Amado, the man was “promptly detained.”

“In this instance, after receiving additional law enforcement information, ICE, in coordination with federal and local law enforcement, promptly detained this individual, who was already under supervision via a Global Positioning System (GPS) monitoring device,” the spokesperson said. “Noncitizens encountered in the United States without authorization undergo multi-layered screening and vetting. Our immigration enforcement priorities are clear: DHS is focused on those who pose a threat to our national security, public safety, and border security. When we receive additional derogatory information from our law enforcement partners, DHS and our federal partners take swift action to apprehend those individuals.”

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The spokesperson added that Garcia-Amado is in ICE custody pending the disposition of his immigration case.

Hinson echoed Republican criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policies — saying that reduced enforcement priorities, reduced ICE budgets, and the reinstatement of “catch-and-release” policies have allowed criminals and others easier access to the U.S. interior.

“This is a direct consequence of bad policy foisted upon agents by this administration — priorities and policies that are endangering Iowans and all Americans,” she writes.

Hinson requests details about the case, including under what authority Garcia-Amado was released, why ICE needed authorization to arrest him, whether he was identified as being on the watch list before his release, and how many individuals on the list have been released into the interior since February 2021.

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“Allowing a suspected terrorist who crossed the border illegally to roam freely in our country, even after being flagged as a threat by the FBI, is the Biden Administration’s dangerous immigration policy in a nutshell,” Hinson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Americans and Iowans deserve answers for how this happened, and accountability to ensure suspected terrorists aren’t released into our communities again. The Biden administration must reverse course and prioritize securing our border.”

According to CBP, there have been 157 encounters of people on the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) at U.S. borders so far in FY 2022 between ports of entry and 35 encounters between ports of entry.

The letter comes as FBI Director Wray on Wednesday said border security is a “major, major challenge” and that “any porous point of entry is a potential vulnerability that bad actors of all sorts, including national security threats, can seek to exploit.”

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He said that he has been down to FBI field offices that have border crossings as part of their areas of responsibility and met with Customs and Border Protection officials.

“I’ve had CBP folks show me around so I can see firsthand what they’re dealing with. And they have a heck of a challenge on their hands,” he said.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.