Capital District Times

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, raising concerns about known or suspected terrorists entering the United States through the Northern Border. In her communication, Stefanik requested additional information on this issue, including changes made to screening and vetting procedures at both the Northern and Southern Borders and the total number of individuals encountered attempting to enter via the Northern Border.

In her letter, Stefanik stated, “During a full Committee briefing on June 3, 2024 I asked your representative to confirm the number of encounters with known or suspected terrorists along the northern border because on April 3rd, 2024, I was briefed by Swanton Sector Border Patrol. It was very concerning that the Swanton Sector has a higher percentage of encounters than any other northern border section.”

Stefanik further remarked, “In the wake of the Biden Administration’s permissive border policies, HAMAS’ October 7th terror attack on Israel, and the recent ISIS-K attack on Russian civilians, the terrorism threat to the United States is at an unprecedented level.”

The full text of Stefanik's letter can be accessed [here](https://stefanik.house.gov/2024/6/stefanik-demands-answers-from-homeland-secretary-mayorkas-surrounding-terrorists-entering-via-northern-border).