The Biden administration exempted thousands of immigrants claiming asylum from terror-related entry restrictions that would have left many completely ineligible to enter the U.S.
According to Fox News, a draft of the Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal year 2024 report to Congress, showed Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had used his power to exempt almost 7,000 foreign nationals from terror-related inadmissibility grounds — which includes associating, working for, or supporting terrorist organizations.
Despite the power to exempt these restrictions being within Mayorkas’ purview, the report states the number of immigrants exempted — who were mostly refugees — rose significantly in 2024 when compared to previous years under the Biden administration.
Around 6,848 immigrants received an exemption in 2024, with 6,653 being refugees. In FY 2023, the number of exemptions was 2,085, while FY 2022 had 603 exemptions, and FY 2021 had 191, Fox News reported.
Furthermore, the Biden administration has increased the number of refugee’s able to claim asylum from 18,000 under the Trump administration, to a whopping 125,000.
In a breakdown of the report, 29 exemptions were provided for Afghan allies who allegedly supported the U.S. while in Afghanistan, and another 374 for civil servants. Another 3,134 were provided an exemption after they had been found to have provided limited support to a Tier I or Tier II terror organization — which includes terror groups like ISIS and the Taliban. While 2,946 exemptions were given after citing the recipients had given support to a terror organization “under duress.”
A total of 181 exemptions were given to people who were not refugees, and included 22 green card holders, 155 asylum applicants, and four applicants for Temporary Protected Status.
Former White House Senior Communications Advisor and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Bars, wrote on X that the Biden administration has been importing terror threats “at an alarming rate.”
“Biden and Mayorkas have been very busy helping potential terrorists move to the U.S. Nearly 7,000 in 2024 alone. Dems have been handing out special exemptions [and] importing terror threats at an alarming rate,” Bars wrote.
