Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sharply criticized the Biden administration’s border security policies Thursday in a news release following a recent report by the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The report revealed failures in adequately screening and vetting individuals entering the U.S. The report’s release coincided with the arrest of eight individuals from Tajikistan suspected of having ties to ISIS by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a nationwide sting operation.

Graham, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said during a hearing Thursday that the full Senate needs to be briefed about the threat of ISIS fighters entering the U.S. through the southern border.

“I fear that the sting operation involving eight people from Tajikistan is just the tip of the iceberg,” Graham said. “As to the Inspector General report from DHS about vetting, all I can say is that catch and release and poor vetting is not the way to go.”

“I am hopeful that the Administration will take this report from the DHS Inspector General to heart and make reforms. The Laken Riley tragedy is a good example of where the person accused of murdering this young lady was paroled into the country – not based on the two statutory factors in law but based on lack of detention capacity. This is a nightmare for our country.”

Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student, was murdered in February, with the suspect being an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Jose Ibarra, 26. Ibarra reportedly entered the U.S. illegally in September 2022 but was released after about a day in custody. He made his way to New York, but months before Riley’s murder, he was arrested on a charge of endangering a child and released.

“The DHS inspector report is a wake-up call,” Graham said. “The sting operation by ICE and other law enforcement is beyond a wake-up call. So, I’m hoping that the Senate will be briefed about the extent of the danger and that we will be able to take some corrective action before it’s too late.”

Following the sting operation, DHS and the FBI released a joint statement highlighting recent actions against noncitizens linked to terrorism.

“Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several noncitizens pursuant to immigration authorities,” the statement said, according to the New York Post. “The actions were carried out in close coordination with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces. The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”

The FBI and DHS have recently warned of a heightened threat environment in the U.S. They pledged continued collaboration with partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security.

Graham’s call for action comes amid increasing fears of terrorism at the southern border.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified last year that foreign terrorists among those crossing the border are a “source of great concern.” Wray revealed the number of known or suspected terrorists attempting to cross the border has risen over the past five years, with encounters reaching a record high in the 2023 fiscal year.

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