COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE:
COMMITTEE ON I 2429 RAYBURN House OFFICE BUILDING

WASHINGTON, DC 20515
EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE TELEPHONE, (202, 225_5672

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
AND INFRASTRUCTURE

CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE COAST
GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION

DISTRICT OFFICES:

EL CAJON TELEPHONE: (619) 448?5201
TEMECULA TELEPHONE: (951) 695?5108

 

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Secretary eh Johnson
Department of Homeland Security
245 Murray Lane, SW
Washington, DC 20528-0075

Dear Secretary Johnson:

It has recently come to my attention that in September, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)
Agents encountered and detained two Pakistani nationals, one of whom was listed in the Terrorist
Screening Database (TSDB) due to associations with a known or suspected terrorist. The other was a
positive match for derogatory information in an alternate database.

Given the current threat environment, and the information I have reviewed about the two
Pakistani nationals detained by CBP, I am seeking answers to the following questions:

0 Over the last three years, how many individuals detained by CBP have been watchlisted on the
TSDB, or have been the subject of a Terrorist Watchlist Alert?

0 How many of those individuals were released, deported or remain in custody?

0 Does DHS have estimates of how many illegal immigrants are currently in our country that are
also watchlisted on the 

It is routinely said there is no ?speci?c and credible information about an attack on the
homeland.? Despite this assertion, the Southern land border remains vulnerable to intrusion and exists
as a point of extreme vulnerability. And evidently there are criminal organizations and individuals
with the networks and knowhow to facilitate illegal entry into the United States without regard for
one?s intentions or status on a terrorist watchlist. The detention of the two Pakistani nationals
underscores the fact that any serious effort to secure our homeland must include effective border
security and immigration enforcement.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and I look forward to your immediate response.

 

Member of Congress