An Afghan migrant placed on the terrorist watch list spent a year in the United States after being released by the Border Patrol.
Mohammad Kharwin, 48, a member of the “virulently anti-Western” group, was detained when he crossed illegally through San Ysidro, California, in March 2023.
But he was released and allowed to roam the country after a judge declared he was not a threat to national security. NBC News.
Nearly a year later, the FBI notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that he was a suspected member of the U.S.-designated foreign terrorist group, Hezb-e-Islami (HIG).
Kharwin was free on bail and awaiting an immigration hearing in 2025 when he was finally detained in February.
An Afghan migrant placed on the terrorist watch list spent a year in the United States after being released by the Border Patrol, a shocking new report has revealed. Immigrants seen queuing along the wall in Texas in March
The National Counterterrorism Center says HIG is responsible for the deaths of multiple Americans and is based on a “virulently anti-Western” ideology.
They were behind attacks that killed at least nine American soldiers and civilians between 2013 and 2015.
It is another shocking indictment of the situation at the border that has seen multiple terrorism suspects enter the US and seen a historic increase in crossings since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.
Border agents detained Kharwin and initially detained him because he matched information from a suspected terrorist.
But officials lacked the evidence they needed to keep him in custody and referred him to ICE’s Alternatives to Detention Program.
Mohammad Kharwin, 48, a member of the “virulently anti-Western” group, was detained when he crossed illegally into San Ysidro, California, in March 2023 (file image)
Nearly a year later, the FBI notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that he was a suspected member of the U.S.-designated foreign terrorist group, Hezb-e-Islami (HIG). Immigrants are seen at an intersection in El Paso, Texas, last month.
He was tasked with communicating with border agents by phone. Kharwin was then able to apply for asylum, get a job and then use domestic flights in the US.
The judge placed no restrictions on his movements and only asked him to return for a court appearance a year later.
The Department of Homeland Security told NBC News that Customs and Border Protection did not “knowingly” release a person on the terrorist watch list.
“At the time of the initial encounter, the information contained in the file could not provide a conclusive match,” a spokesperson said.
‘As soon as there was information suggesting this individual was a cause for concern, ICE detained him. Authorities have been closely monitoring the matter to guard against risks to public safety.
More to follow