Eight citizens of Tajikistan detained in the USA

In the USA, 8 citizens of Tajikistan have been detained on suspicion of links to the terrorist group ISIS. They were apprehended by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in “close cooperation with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.”

This was reported on June 11 by several American television channels, including ABC News, citing their sources in U.S. law enforcement. According to these sources, all detainees entered the U.S. through the southern border, and since no danger was identified during the initial screening, they were allowed to remain in the U.S.

These citizens were officially detained for violating immigration laws. So far, no charges related to preparing for a terrorist act have been brought against them. U.S. authorities are currently preparing documents for the deportation of these individuals from the country.

According to the publication, the suspects are currently held in ICE custody. According to officials from this agency, at least two men crossed the border in the spring of 2023, and one of them used the CBP One app, which was created by the Biden administration to allow migrants to schedule appointments to apply for asylum.

Three informed sources also told NBC that the FBI was aware of a terrorist threat emanating from Central Europe, and therefore FBI agents began surveillance of these individuals as part of a broader investigation into the threat. According to a senior U.S. government official, FBI agents monitored these individuals for several months: they conducted wiretaps and allegedly recorded that “one of the arrested spoke about bombs.”

In the past two years, hundreds of migrants from Tajikistan have illegally entered the U.S. through Mexico, and many of them have officially requested asylum in the country. However, just recently, U.S. authorities tightened entry conditions for immigrants.

A week ago, President Biden signed an order that prohibits migrants who have entered the U.S. illegally from applying for asylum. Under this order, all illegal migrants arriving from Central Asian countries must be immediately deported from the country. Previously, ICE officials did not have the authority to deport migrants independently; such a decision could only be made by a court. This order currently applies only to the San Diego sector, which is currently one of the main entry points for illegal migrants across the Mexican border into the U.S.