US: Citing terror threats, the justifies its assault on illegal immigration

 US: In a strong defense of its immigration enforcement tactics on Thursday, the Trump administration drew a clear line between legal and illegal migration and cautioned that border violations directly endanger national security.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told legislators during a heated session of the House Homeland Security Committee that the Trump administration was “ending illegal immigration, returning sanity back to our immigration system” and sending a strong message to criminals. “We have made it clear to criminal illegal aliens that we will track them down, apprehend them, and deport them,” she said.

Noem claimed that enforcement actions had already had results, claiming that “nationwide border encounters have plummeted nearly 80 per cent” in comparison to the previous year and that “illegal border crossings (have fallen) to their lowest level in decades.”

Joseph Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, cautioned that the previous administration’s screening flaws had resulted in significant security risks. “We don’t know who came into our country during the last four years of Biden’s open borders, which is the biggest threat that we have right now,” Kent said.

While many of them would “never be allowed to enter our country because of their ties to jihadi groups like ISIS and al-Qaida,” Kent said the committee that officials had uncovered “around 18,000 known and suspected terrorists that the Biden administration let come into our country.”

He cited instances, such as a recent incident in Washington, when Afghan nationals were accepted under Operation Allies Welcome. Kent said that “these individuals… were not vetted properly” and that “that Afghan was brought into the country as a group of over 100,000 Afghans who were brought here during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

“That we don’t necessarily know all of the people that are in this country, who they are, and what their intentions are” is what worries Noem the most, echoing similar worries. “15 to 20 million people came in under the Biden administration,” she calculated. They weren’t screened.

The secretary said that the deportation of violent criminals and those associated with organized crime was a top priority for her agency. According to her, “transnational organized crime groups, such as the Sinaloa (cartel) in Mexico, New Generation Jalisco, and other drug cartels, cause chaos and harm American interests.”

Democratic senators criticized the administration’s strategy at the same time, claiming that enforcement efforts were targeting US citizens and even those without criminal histories. Rep. Lou Correa said, “These people… are not the individuals that should be deported,” citing examples of long-term residents and the families of veterans.

Noem denied claims that DHS was operating illegally. “This administration and the Department of Homeland Security abide with all federal court orders. She said that the agency will “continue to appeal” unfavorable decisions, saying, “We always have and we always will.”

She also refuted reports that deportations of Americans were taking place. Noem said that “we have never once detained — or deported — an American citizen,” adding that people may be kept for a short time “until we verify who they are and then they are released.”

Republican lawmakers defended the administration’s actions, arguing that enforcement was necessary to counter terrorism, drug trafficking and cartel violence. The nation was enjoying “the most secure border I’ve seen in my 22 years in Congress,” according to Representative Michael McCaul.

The hearing underscored the deep political divide over immigration policy, with Republicans framing enforcement as essential to homeland security and Democrats warning of civil liberties violations and humanitarian costs.

The Congressional hearing was held in the backdrop of broader security concerns, including terrorism, cyber threats, and preparations for major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 250th anniversary of US independence, which DHS officials said would require heightened vigilance.