FBI Director Kash Patel testified before Congress that the U.S. northern border has emerged as a significant national security concern, following years of focus on the southern border.
Patel noted that while the southern border has largely been secured, the northern border remains vulnerable to exploitation by terrorists from nations including China, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan.
“The enemy has adapted,” Patel told the House Judiciary Committee, emphasizing the need to strengthen surveillance and enforcement efforts along the northern frontier.
Patel’s remarks coincide with rising numbers of terrorism suspects identified in the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Dataset, commonly referred to as the watch list. Data from Customs and Border Protection shows a sharp increase in matches at official border crossings.
At the southern border, the number of individuals flagged on the watch list grew from fewer than 10 per month earlier this year to more than 500 monthly between May and July.
Additionally, Border Patrol agents arrested 37 individuals on the watch list over that period, representing a notable uptick compared with the end of the Biden administration and the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Experts attribute part of the increase to the Biden administration’s classification of