In fiscal year 2023, Border Patrol reported a notable increase in encounters with individuals on the terror watch list attempting to cross the southern border into the United States.
Data obtained from United States Customs and Border Protection indicates that Border Patrol encountered 143 illegal aliens on the terror watch list during this period. This number represents a significant surge compared to the 98 encounters reported in fiscal year 2022.
Furthermore, the statistics from both 2022 and 2023 reflect substantial rises in such encounters when compared to previous years. For instance, in fiscal year 2021, Border Patrol reported only six encounters with individuals on the terror watchlist, and in fiscal years 2019 and 2020, the encounters amounted to three each.