The House Homeland Security Committee released a report this week examining the mobility of Special Interest Aliens (SIAs) and efforts to curtail their entryways to mitigate terrorist threats.
“Individuals who may pose a serious national security threat, known as Special Interest Aliens (SIAs), continue to cross our border,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), House Homeland Security Committee chairman, said. “One such way is through the exploitation of illicit pathways throughout the Western Hemisphere. Since some of these migrants on the path to America have been identified as Known or Suspected Terrorists (KSTs), murderers and other criminals, closing these pathways must be a priority.”
McCaul said based on initial findings, the House took action and passed legislation which included the authorization of ICE’s Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) and made it easier for DHS to collect biometric data on SIA’s and others who may pose a danger to America and partners around the world.
Report recommendations include better support ICE’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Units (TCIUs), as well as increased Interagency coordination via a Western Hemisphere Task Force; creation of an Inter-American Information Sharing System; and conduct threat analyses for Ports of Entry, Maritime Borders and Southwest U.S. Borders.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues in the 116th Congress and the Trump Administration to implement all of the recommendations in this report,” McCaul said.