A record number of individuals on the terrorist watchlist are being apprehended at the northern U.S. border, raising alarms about national security. Recent arrests include Mohammad Hasan Abdellatif Albana, a Jordanian national captured near Lynden, Washington, after crossing illegally from Canada.
Albana was flagged as a known terrorist and deported to Jordan on Nov. 15. He is one of 1,216 individuals apprehended at the northern border since 2021, far outpacing the 687 apprehended at the southern border over the same period.
Tom Homan, President-elect Donald Trump’s border czar, pointed to the lack of border infrastructure as a critical weakness. “The northern border is a security vulnerability, and it’s being exploited,” Homan said.
Unlike the southern border, the U.S.-Canada border has no walls and minimal technological surveillance. Border Patrol agents warn that limited staffing further compounds the problem, with vast stretches of the 5,525-mile border left unmonitored.
CBP officials have emphasized the importance of addressing these gaps, noting that many individuals likely evade detection entirely. Homan has vowed that the Trump administration will secure the northern border and ensure it is no longer a weak point for national security.
As arrests climb, the focus on strengthening northern border security is becoming a key priority for the incoming administration.
