Senior CBP source said Biden-era border policies allowed more than 1,500 Iranian nationals to enter, with nearly half released into US
Tom Homan warns of Iranian cells operating in US after years of Dems’ open border
Trump border czar Tom Homan joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss border security, deportation operations, and Iran.
Biden-era open border policies have ignited concerns that Iranian "sleeper cells" could be lying in wait inside the U.S., eager to retaliate after tensions with the U.S. adversary reached a boiling point over the weekend, and the prospect has officials on high alert.
Border czar Tom Homan called it the "biggest national security vulnerability" the U.S. has ever seen.
"It's a significant threat," he said Tuesday on FOX Business' "Mornings with Maria."
HOSPITALS IN SANCTUARY CITIES COULD BE MOST VULNERABLE TO IRAN TERROR ATTACKS, WARNS EXPERT
Tom Homan, White House border czar, speaks during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"The average under the Biden administration every single day was 1,800 known gotaways… these are people we knew came to the United States and entered illegally. We don't know who they are, where they came from, why they're here, but they got away."
Homan stressed that the sleeper cell prospect has been one of his top concerns for years. Now, the Trump administration is focused on "clean[ing] up" the mess left by the previous administration, an effort that started with securing the border.
"We knew we had a big job to do, and we're working on it," he said.
Former acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf echoed Homan in citing the countless number of unidentified foreign nationals who poured across the U.S. border under former President Biden's tenure.
EX-ICE CHIEF WARNS BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS LIKELY FUELED IRANIAN SLEEPER THREAT IN US
"This is a real concern, and, unfortunately, four years of the Biden administration will eventually have consequences," Wolf said during an appearance on "America's Newsroom" on Tuesday.
Speaking to guest host Bill Melugin, he warned that "Hezbollah and Hamas and others" are already in the United States.
"We'll see if they are activated. We'll see if they're inspired. The FBI and local law enforcement – I know they're doing everything that they can…" he added.
A senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) source recently revealed that over 1,500 Iranian nationals who illegally entered the U.S. at the southern border were arrested under the Biden administration, and nearly 50% of them were released back into the country.
Hours after President Trump addressed the nation about successful military strikes against key Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, the DHS issued a memo sounding the alarm on a "heightened threat environment" in the U.S.
The bulletin came as Iranian officials warned of retaliation against the U.S., but did not cite any specific threats.
Fox News' Greg Wehner and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
