South
How many people on the terrorist watchlist are coming into the United States?
Some Republican lawmakers are flagging Hamas’ attack on Israel as an example of why more security is needed at the southern U.S. border. Hamas militants breached a border fence and attacked Israeli villages bordering the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7.
“Potential terrorists are attempting to cross our southern border. In September alone, 18 illegal immigrants on the terror watchlist were caught at the border,” U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., posted Oct. 21 on X, formerly Twitter. “The attack on Israel should serve as a warning as to why we must secure the border.”
The next day, U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., also mentioned the terrorist watchlist on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“We just caught 18 people, just last month, on the FBI terrorist watchlist, coming across our border,” McCarthy said. “More than 160 have done it this year.”
U.S. immigration officials have encountered rising numbers of people on the watchlist. But not everyone on the list is a terrorist, and not everyone encountered is allowed to enter the country.
Terrorism and immigration experts say the threat of attacks in the U.S. and Israel are not comparable.
“People aren’t crossing the border to conduct terrorist attacks or take over parts of the United States,” David Bier, an immigration expert at the libertarian Cato Institute, previously told PolitiFact. “A very small percentage may come to commit ordinary crimes, like selling drugs, but overwhelmingly, they are coming for economic opportunity and freedom.”
McCarthy’s office did not respond to our request for more information. A Blackburn spokesperson pointed us to a Fox News reporter’s post on X. Customs and Border Protection did not confirm whether 18 people were stopped in September.
Here’s what we know about who is on the terrorist watchlist, and what the data can and can’t tell us:
What is the terrorist watchlist and who is on it?
The terrorist watchlist, run by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, is a federal database of people who are either known or suspected terrorists.
“Known terrorists” include people who have been charged, arrested, indicted or convicted of a terrorism-related crime or who belong to a foreign terrorist organization.
“Suspected terrorists” are people who are “reasonably suspected to be” involved in terrorist activities.
U.S. government agencies nominate people to the terrorist watchlist, and those names are vetted by the National Counterterrorism Center or the FBI.
For years, civil liberty groups have cited concerns about the nomination process and its lack of transparency. People are not told they are on the watchlist and are not privy to the evidence that landed them on it. The standard for being included, “reasonable suspicion,” allows intelligence analysts to rely on rational inferences, not jus facts, when deciding if someone has ties to terrorism, the Congressional Research Service wrote in a 2016 report.
Most encounters with people on watchlist happen at northern border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection releases the number of times immigration officials encounter a known or suspected terrorist each fiscal year. While there is a lot of information the government doesn’t disclose, such as the nationality of people apprehended, the available data do not support the impression of routine terrorist crossings at the southern border.
Most of the 736 encounters in fiscal year 2023 (which ended Sept. 30) happened at the northern border at official checkpoints (484 in total). There were 80 encounters at official checkpoints at the southern border.
Encounters between ports of entry along the southern border were higher in 2023 (169) than in 2022 (98) and 2021 (15).
But CBP says it’s “very uncommon” for border authorities to encounter people on the terrorist watchlist. At the southern border between ports of entry in 2023, for example, such encounters represented 0.0083% of all the 2 million encounters.
What the numbers don’t say
Data on encounters represent events, not people. If one person tries to come in three times in a year and is stopped each time, that counts as three encounters.
Additionally, border officials can deny entry to people on the terrorist watchlist. An encounter does not equal an entry into the country.
A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told PolitiFact the agency vets everyone who is encountered. People who pose a threat to national security or public safety are denied admission, detained, removed or referred to other federal agencies for possible prosecution.
It means “that potential terrorists are not getting through but rather are being detected,” even when they try crossing between official ports of entry, said Denise Gilman, immigration clinic co-director at the University of Texas School of Law.
People on the list are “subject to extremely high scrutiny and are almost certainly detained indefinitely by CBP while they determine what to do with them,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director for the American Immigration Council, an immigrants’ rights group. “They are not just waved on through.”
Even if people on the watchlist were allowed into the country to apply for asylum or any sort of immigration protection, they would be sent to immigration detention while a judge hears their case, said Adam Isacson, defense oversight director at the Washington Office on Latin America, a research and human rights advocacy group.
Flaws in watchlist data make it a bad indicator of threat
Some people on the watchlist have not been deemed terrorists by the U.S. government, but they might be affiliated with people, such as family members, who are known or suspected terrorists, according to CBP.
Additionally, some people on the list might be affiliated with a designated foreign terrorist organization that does not pose a threat to the U.S., such as inactive domestic guerrilla groups, said Alex Nowrasteh, the Cato Institute’s vice president for economic and social policy studies.
Nowrasteh recently testified to Congress that none of the people involved in U.S. terrorist attacks from 1975 to 2022 had crossed the southern border illegally.
The federal government’s encounters data can include false positives of matches on the terrorist watchlist, such as people who were added to the watchlist because they share the same name or birthdate as someone listed.
A ‘false analogy’
Experts dismissed the idea that Hamas’ attack on Israel is in any way analogous to U.S. border security concerns.
There isn’t a terrorist movement in Mexico, Central America or South America that targets the U.S. or compares with Hamas targeting Israel, Nowrasteh said. Hamas’ charter calls for the destruction of Israel.
Ernesto Castañeda-Tinoco, director of American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, said, “There is no evidence of members of Hamas in Mexico preparing attacks on the U.S. The geopolitical situation at the U.S.-Mexico border is different from the one between Israel and Palestine.”
Jason M. Blazakis, director of Middlebury College’s Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, said the comparison was a “false analogy.”
“The vast majority of people who are at the southern border are trying to escape criminal gangs and drug trafficking organization violence,” he said.
Our sources
- PolitiFact, Hamas militants ‘pouring’ across U.S. southern border? Donald Trump’s claim is Pants on Fire!, Oct. 12, 2023
- NBC News, Full McCarthy: I don’t need the speakership ‘title. I’m going to help in any way I can’, Oct. 22, 2023
- X, post, Oct. 21, 2023
- Congressional Research Service, The Terrorist Screening Database: Background Information, June 17, 2016
- FBI, Frequently Asked Questions, April 11, 2016
- U.S. State Department, Foreign Terrorist Organizations, accessed Oct. 24, 2023
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP Enforcement Statistics Fiscal Year 2023, accessed Oct. 24, 2023
- Cato Institute, Terrorist Entry Through the Southwest Border, Sept. 13, 2023
- CBS News, Are terrorists trying to enter the U.S. through the southern border? Here are the facts., Oct. 11, 2023
- Fox News, Iranian illegal immigrant caught at border not on terror watchlist after further vetting: DHS official, Feb. 1, 2023
- Council on Foreign Relations, What Is Hamas?, Oct. 9, 2023
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Threat Assessment 2024, September 2023
- Legal Information Institute, inference, accessed Oct. 26, 2023
- Legal Information Institute, reasonable suspicion, accessed Oct. 26, 2023
- FBI, Terrorist Screening Center, accessed Oct. 26, 2023
- The Washington Post, The FBI’s terrorism watch list violates the Constitution, federal judge says, Sept. 5, 2019
- American Civil Liberties Union, Discriminatory Profiling, accessed Oct. 26, 2023
- X, Post, Oct. 21, 2023
- Email exchange, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director for the American Immigration Council, Sept. 19, 2023
- Email exchange, Adam Isacson, Director for Defense Oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, Sept. 19, 2023
- Email exchange, Denise Gilman, co-director of the immigration clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, Oct. 25, 2023
- Email exchange, Stephen Yale-Loehr, professor of immigration law at Cornell Law School, Oct. 25, 2023
- Email exchange, Ernesto Castañeda, director for the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University, Oct. 25, 2023
- Email exchange, spokesperson for Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Oct. 25, 2023
- Email exchange, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, Oct. 25, 2023
(WPDE) — June 9 marked International Batten Disease Awareness Day, shining a light on a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder.
It primarily affects children and causes harmful waste material to build up inside the cells of the brain and nervous system.
One South Carolina family used the day to raise awareness as their 2-year-old son, Sam Stockton, lives with CLN2 Batten disease.
Sam was diagnosed at 16 weeks old, and his family says they travel every other week for enzyme-replacement therapy while also searching for clinical research opportunities.
Through Hope for Sam, the family is working to spread information about Batten disease and support other families facing rare diseases.
“Just the more you know about rare diseases, I never knew that over 300 million people worldwide live with rare diseases. And that means there’s less access to care because people aren’t researching it and not as many people have it. So the more information that’s out there, we feel is the better,” Jordan Stockton said.
There are 13 known types of Batten disease, and there is no cure. Researchers estimate the disease affects about two to four out of every 100,000 births in the United States.
The Stockton family says they have found support through the Batten Disease Support, Research and Advocacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families navigate the disease while providing resources.
More information and donation details are available at this link.
With OTAs and minicamp now behind us, all we have before the preseason gets underway is training camp. The Titans will enjoy the next month off before getting started with camp in late July.
This time of year is always fun because you get to see a few players come out of nowhere and work their way into the roster discussion. You also get to see if the young players have made progress, and we get a good idea of what the depth chart is looking like. Today, let’s go over eight players who were winners at camp and four who didn’t have the best showings.
Winner: Cam Ward | QB
Cam Ward has to be considered a winner. The quarterback faced a ton of criticism for his performance at OTAs, and if he had gone out and had a bad showing at minicamp, you can just imagine what the talking points would be.
Luckily, Ward looked much more relaxed and efficient during minicamp. On Tuesday, Ward made a few very nice throws, including a sidearm touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm that I’m sure everybody has seen by now. On Wednesday, Ward showed off his chemistry with Wan’Dale Robinson and Chimere Dike, in particular, as both guys caught several passes.
I think we saw what we needed to see from Ward this offseason. He’s a young passer learning a new offense, it’s not crazy to think there are some kinks to work out.
Winner: Tyjae Spears | RB
It seems like many forgot about Spears this offseason. After the talk of Jeremiyah Love around the draft and Nicholas Singleton being added, it seems like not many were expecting big things out of Spears.
However, Spears has done nothing but impress this summer. The Tulane product looks as explosive as ever and had a couple of really nice runs. Spears also caught some passes and mentioned that he actually wants to get even better as a pass-catcher. Spears did well enough this summer that Robert Saleh already said Spears and Pollard will be the bellcows. That has to be a win.
Winner: Xavier Restrepo | WR
Xavier Restrepo was the most productive wide receiver on the team this offseason. The receiver had more catches than any other pass-catcher and legitimately looked like an NFL-caliber player. Restrepo also had probably the most impressive catch of the summer on Wednesday. That’s really saying something, too, considering this receiver room is incredibly deep.
I still think Restrepo still has an uphill battle to make the final roster, but it would have been very difficult to have a better couple of months than Restrepo has had.
Winner: Chimere Dike | WR
Someone who definitely WILL make the roster is fellow receiver, Chimere Dike. Dike was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro as a rookie thanks to his special teams prowess, but he showed off his talent as a wide receiver too this summer.
Dike caught a ton of passes during minicamp and finished behind only Restrepo in total catches this offseason. He offered plenty of value already as a returner, so if he can give more on offense as well, watch out.
Winner: Austin Schlottmann | C
Austin Schlottmann was signed this offseason, and at the time, the deal didn’t exactly make a ton of headlines. It was expected that Schlottmann would be battling for the starting center job with several other players, but it already seems clear that the veteran is the leader for the job.
Schlottmann was made available to the media, which usually is a good sign that the player is in the team’s plans. Teammates and coaches have praised Schlottmann’s leadership and familiarity with Brian Daboll’s offensive system. Schlottmann looks primed to step into the largest role of his career in a system he’s familiar with.
Winner: Pass Rushers
There are several defenders on the line who deserve praise. This defensive front made life hard for the offensive line, especially on Wednesday. Truman Jones, Earnest Brown, Jacob Martin, and Jermaine Johnson II were all credited with would-be sacks on Wednesday.
This is another group that didn’t seem to have the best depth, but looks much better now. The line was able to dominate even without Jeffery Simmons and Femi Oladejo, too, which is more impressive.
Winner: Alontae Taylor | CB
Alontae Taylor was a big-ticket addition for the Titans and is expected to play a crucial role in 2026. Taylor missed some time at OTAs, but if there were any worries about that, those should be put to rest now.
At minicamp, Taylor showed why the Titans valued him so highly. The veteran is talkative and always seemed to be around the ball. The defender almost came down with an interception on Tuesday on a nice play and then had another nice pass breakup on Wednesday. Jim Wyatt noted that Titans fans will love Taylor’s “scrappy play and feistiness.”
Winner: Keydrain Calligan | CB
Keydrain Calligan isn’t a name that was on many radars a month ago. That’s changed now, as the depth corner took full advantage of his opportunities at OTAs and minicamp. Calligan came down with an interception and had several pass breakups over the last few weeks.
I was worried about the corner depth, and I’m still not thrilled with it, but Calligan has made me feel better. The former undrafted free agent also has some versatility and can play safety as well. Perhaps nobody more helped their chance to make the roster than Calligan.
Loser: Hendon Hooker and Will Levis | QB
I didn’t want to just pick on Will Levis, as Hendon Hooker was also underwhelming. Both passers had a perfect chance to impress, considering Mitchell Trubisky missed the first part of OTAs, and neither were able to do so.
There was probably no scenario where Levis or Hooker earned the QB2 spot, but with a good offseason program, they could’ve forced the Titans to keep a third quarterback. Instead, the young passers were either bad or mediocre for the majority of the offseason. I don’t see a scenario where either quarterback is on the final roster.
Loser: Kalel Mullings | RB
As I mentioned above, Saleh has already appointed Pollard and Spears as the team’s top running backs. Rookie Nic Singleton should also factor in as well, but there’s likely going to be four running backs on the roster. This meant that Mullings seemingly entered the offseason with a great shot to stick.
Unfortunately, Mullings didn’t take advantage of his opportunities. Michael Carter, who is also competing for a spot, made more plays, and Julius Chestnut probably has the edge due to his special teams prowess. Mullings still has time, but it would have been nice to have seen him do more this summer.
Loser: Femi Oladejo | EDGE
It feels bad to put Oladejo here because injuries are unavoidable. However, it’s objectively disappointing that Oladejo wasn’t able to do much this offseason. The young pass-rusher missed minicamp with an unspecified injury, missing out on valuable offseason reps.
Oladejo has a shot to fill an important rotational role this year. After losing most of his rookie season, it would have been nice for him to get some hype going this summer. Instead, we’ll head to training camp still not knowing what to expect from Oladejo.
Latrell McCutchin Sr. | CB
I was very high on McCutchin when the Titans signed him right after the draft. McCutchin has good size for the boundary and had a ton of pass breakups in college. With the lack of depth the Titans have at corner, I thought McCutchin had a great shot to make the team.
Instead, McCutchin has been overshadowed by Keydrain Calligan and Micah Robinson. I had McCutchin making the roster over those two originally, but if the season started tomorrow, I’d have the rookie behind both. McCutchin needs a strong camp and preseason to avoid landing on the practice squad.
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A day off at the pool — and a little sunburn — didn’t stop the Minnesota Twins’ momentum.
Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 9-3 win Thursday.
Minnesota has won four games in a row and scored 25 runs in the three-games series in Texas. The two teams had a rare, mid-series day off on Wednesday with the England-Croatia World Cup game being played in Arlington.
“We’re locked in every day,” Lee told Audra Martin on the team’s broadcast. “Yesterday, taking time off, lay out by the pool, get a little burnt and then right back to it. We did a good job getting focused. I feel like we do that with rain delays, too, just lock back in and we’re doing it.”
Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.
Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.
The Twins never trailed in the sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.
Wyatt Langford, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue hit solo homers for the Rangers, who have lost five of six games. They are 0-15 when giving up multiple runs in the first inning.
Twins DH Josh Bell, who was born in nearby Irving and grew up in the area, had an RBI single before Lee’s homer. Bell hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the series-opening 4-2 win Monday, and had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead in the first of a 12-2 win on Tuesday.
“We’re just passing the baton each time,” Lee said of the offensive output. “Our guys are hot. They feel good and they came out swinging today. It was awesome to see. We’ve done that for a while now.”
Up next
Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-4, 5.26 ERA) starts Friday at Arizona. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start right-hander Michael Soroka (8-3, 3.11).
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