MAGA Figures Share Warning of Hamas Threat at US Border

Customs officials have warned the conflict in the Middle East may lead to a surge in border crossings “to or from” the U.S. by travellers “inspired by, or reacting to, the current Israel-Hamas conflict.”

Right-wing politicians have seized on the claims, suggesting that the U.S. is now at an increased risk of “terrorists coming through,” criticizing President Joe Biden and his administration on the issue of illegal migration.

The subject of immigration has proved divisive as lawmakers across the political spectrum battle about the best way to deal with skyrocketing numbers of illegal border crossings. In December 2022, one of the largest mass crossings in living memory was caught on camera when a huge caravan of more than 1,000 migrants filed into the U.S. at El Paso, Texas. That group was mostly made up of people from Nicaragua, Peru or Ecuador, but increasing numbers of Chinese migrants are also arriving at the southern border. And experts have claimed migrant numbers are likely to shoot up exponentially, following the end of Title 42, a COVID-era policy that had limited the number of asylum claims.

But Biden claimed a victory this summer, when he pointed out that the number of people crossing the southwest land border actually dropped in June.

The debate looks set to receive renewed fury from the right this week, after the San Diego Field Office Intelligence Unit, part of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), reportedly circulated an internal memo about how the outbreak of renewed violence in the Middle East could impact crossings at the American border.

The story was broken by news website the Daily Caller on Sunday. It shared an image of the memo, which read: “San Diego Field Office Intelligence Unit assesses that individuals inspired by, or reacting to the current Israel-Hamas conflict may attempt travel to or from the area of hostilities in the Middle East via circuitous transit across the Southwest border.

“Foreign fighters motivated by ideology or mercenary soldiers of fortune may attempt to obfuscate travel to or from the US to or from countries in the Middle East through Mexico.”

Officials were urged to be aware of the possibility, and to take extra care when assessing military-aged men and lone travellers. They were also advised to question migrants about their associations with groups that the U.S. has designated as terrorist organisations, including “Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).”

The story was swiftly seized upon by figures on the right who suggested it stood as evidence that Biden’s Democrat administration had lost control of the country’s borders.

Republican senate-hopeful Kari Lake posted on social media site X (formerly called Twitter), saying: “CPB [sic] is raising the alarm about the increasing threat of Hamas, PIJ, & Hezbollah terrorists coming through our southern border.

“Our lives are at risk because @JoeBiden, @kyrstensinema & @RubenGallego hung out the welcome sign & threw our border wide open.”

Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert posted on X: “The San Diego Field Office Intelligence Division of Customs and Border Protection sent out an internal memo warning that Hezbollah and Hamas could be coming over our Southern Border. Common sense would tell us if they want to be here, they’re already here. Our border is wide open and every terrorist organization on earth is well aware. That’s exactly why Biden and [Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro] Mayorkas both need to impeached for an absolute dereliction of duty.”

The allegations by Lake and Boebert echo those made by former President Donald Trump, who claimed recently that the “same people that raided Israel are pouring” into the U.S., although he did not offer any evidence to support his assertion.

Newsweek has reached out to both the White House and the CBP by email seeking further information and comment.