In recent news, the Department of Homeland Security has revealed that over 400 migrants arrived in the US through a human smuggling network that may have ties to ISIS. This discovery has prompted a closer examination of these individuals, according to US officials.
The network’s primary purpose was to smuggle people, not terrorists, as one official clarified. However, it has links to the same network that brought a group of Uzbek nationals into the country last summer with connections to ISIS. The incident was initially reported by CNN in 2023.
The 400 migrants, mainly from Central Asian countries, are now under scrutiny solely due to their association with the human smuggling network. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that there haven’t been cases of anyone posing a threat to the US at this point, but vetting is still ongoing.
NBC News first reported the figure of 400 migrants, as US officials have begun to express concerns about migrants from Central Asian nations like Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Following the arrest of eight Tajik nationals with troubling connections to the terror group, officials have become increasingly vigilant.
The leadership of ISIS-K consists mainly of Tajik nationals and the group has recruited individuals from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Recent attacks in Europe carried out by Tajik nationals on behalf of ISIS have raised alarm bells.
The focus on Central Asian migrants heightened last summer when a group of Uzbek nationals with ties to ISIS crossed the southern border and entered the US. This incident spurred national security officials to monitor travelers from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan more closely.
Senior officials are now concerned about the potential for lone-wolf attackers, rather than coordinated plots by trained operatives, posing a significant threat. Mayorkas emphasized that there is no evidence suggesting that the 400 individuals in question are plotting harm against the US.
As the government proceeds with caution in the interest of national security, it aims to screen and vet individuals rigorously. Any derogatory information discovered will result in enforcement action being taken, prioritizing the safety of the American people.
A correction to the story has been made to clarify that the human smuggling network identified by DHS is linked to a group of Uzbek nationals who entered the US last summer, as reported by CNN’s Evan Perez.
