The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released figures highlighting a substantial increase in the apprehension and removal of individuals posing potential national security risks under the current administration.
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DHS data indicates that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 43,305 potential national security risks during President Trump's first year back in office. Additionally, ICE has arrested 1,416 known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) and removed 1,392 of these individuals from the United States.
Officials describe these numbers as significantly higher than those reported during the Biden-Harris regime. These figures stand in stark contrast to previous reports from the House Judiciary Committee, which detailed concerns over border security under the prior administration. According to a 2024 interim staff report titled "Terror at Our Door," between fiscal years 2021 and 2023, Border Patrol encountered more than 250 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist at the southwest border. Of those, DHS released at least 99 into American communities, with at least 34 others remaining in custody but not yet removed. The encounters involved individuals from 36 different countries, including nations with active terrorist presence such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. The Trump administration has previously reported that there were 18,000 suspected terrorists released into the United States under the Biden regime.
SOURCE: House Judiciary Committee
Earlier this year, DHS deported three known or suspected terrorists—Ehsan Khaledi, Mohammad Mehrani, and Morteza Nasirikakolaki—who are former members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, after they illegally entered the United States in 2024 during the Biden administration. The deportations occurred on January 26, 2026, with DHS emphasizing under the Trump administration and Secretary Noem's leadership a commitment to removing such threats to ensure American safety. In June 2025, ICE arrested 11 Iranian nationals, including one with ties to Hezbollah and another who served as a sniper for the Iranian army. Another individual with suspected connections to the IRGC and Hezbollah, Mehran Makari Saheli, was arrested in Minnesota after previously being ordered removed in 2022. : Reports indicate that over 1,500 Iranian nationals were apprehended at the southern border between 2021 and 2025, with approximately 729 of them released into the U.S. interior.
National security experts have raised alarms about the risks posed by individuals who may have entered the country undetected or been released during that period. Concerns include the potential for sleeper cell attacks on U.S. soil. One FBI counterterrorism expert has warned of heightened vigilance for cyber attacks that could target critical infrastructure, such as payment systems and the electrical grid.
In response to escalating threats, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Military Department (TMD) to activate service members under Operation Fury Shield. The operation involves collaboration with state partners to safeguard citizens and critical infrastructure from potential retaliation or other dangers. Measures include increased patrols at key locations such as energy facilities, ports, and the southern border, as well as enhanced cybersecurity capabilities.
During the late evening on February 28, 2026, President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran for any potential retaliatory measures, “Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before. THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”
