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8 months ago
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An Afghan migrant on the terror watchlist spent a year in the U.S. was after he was released by Border Patrol.
Mohammad Kharwin, 48, a member of the 'virulently anti-Western' group, was apprehended when he illegally crossed into at San Ysidro, California, in March 2023.
But he was cut loose and allowed to roam the country after a judge declared he wasn't a national security threat, NBC News.
Almost a year later, the FBI notified Immigrations and Customs Enforcement that he was a suspected member of the US-designated foreign terror group Hezb-e-Islami (HIG).
Kharwin was free on bond and waiting for an immigration hearing in 2025 when he was finally taken into custody in February.
An Afghan migrant on the terror watchlist spent a year in the U.S. was after he was released by Border Patrol, a shocking new report has revealed. Migrants are seen lining up along the wall in Texas in March
The National Counterterrorism Center says HIG is responsible for the deaths of multiple Americans and runs on 'virulently anti-Western' ideology.
They were behind attacks that killed at least nine American soldiers and civilians from 2013 to 2015.
It is another shocking indictment of the situation at the border that has seen multiple terror suspects enter the U.S. and seen an historic surge in crossings since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.
Border agents took Kharwin into custody and initially held him because he matched the information of a suspected terrorist.
But officials lacked the evidence they needed to keep him in custody and referred him to ICE's Alternatives to Detention Program.
Mohammad Kharwin, 48, a member of the 'virulently anti-Western' group, was apprehended when he illegally crossed into at San Ysidro, California , in March 2023 (stock image)
Almost a year later, the FBI notified Immigrations and Customs Enforcement that he was a suspected member of the US-designated foreign terror group Hezb-e-Islami (HIG). Migrants are seen at a crossing in El Paso, Texas, last month
He was tasked with checking in with border agents by phone. Kharwin was then able to apply for asylum, get work and then use domestic flights in the U.S.
The judge placed no restrictions on his movements, and only require he return for a court appearance a year later.
The Department of Homeland Security told NBC News that Customs and Border Protection did not 'knowingly' release a person on the terrorist watchlist.
At the time of the initial encounter, the information in the record could not have provided a conclusive match', a spokesman said
'As soon as there was information to suggest that this individual was of concern, he was taken into custody by ICE. Law enforcement has been tracking the matter closely to protect against public safety risks.
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