During a US House Appropriations Committee hearing on Monday (June 23), Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the Department of Justice is concerned and actively involved in trying to identify possible threats from within the group of more than 1,000 illegal Iranians currently in the US. Under questioning by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Bondi admitted, "[W]e are on high alert and everyone is looking at that very closely."
This confirms what The Center Square exclusively reported on June 22, citing a source inside Border Patrol who said, "[F]rom fiscal years 2021 through 2024, Border Patrol agents apprehended 1,504 Iranian nationals who illegally entered the U.S. between ports of entry nationwide." This number includes approximately 700 who were released into the US homeland by the Biden administration. There is no current data on how many or if any illegal Iranians have been let into the country under the Trump administration.
It's essential to separate the legal Iranian population from those who came here illegally. Most legal Iranians express harsh criticism for the current Persian regime, but those who crossed the borders illegally may have different sentiments, and US law enforcement agencies worry that they may be up to no good within the United States.
When asked about the number of sleeper cells that may be active in America, Bondi deflected, saying she could not divulge that information. However, she did remark, "What I can tell you is that I know Homeland Security, I know the FBI. They are focusing on doing everything they can to keep our country safe, and they will continue to do that."
Illegal Iranians Among Us
Questioned by Gonzales about budget cuts affecting the ability to track down and apprehend illegal Iranian nationals, Bondi responded that her agency "is committed to doing more with less." She also confirmed, "It’s a frightening time in which we live,” but countered that by asserting, “President Trump is committed to keeping all Americans safe.”
Her remarks were underscored by reports that “Immigration agents collared 11 illegal Iranian migrants — including suspected terrorists — over the weekend in eight states as the Border Patrol warned of ‘possible sleeper’ cells in the US,” according to the New York Post. Included in that round-up was Mehran Makari Saheli, who is known to be a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. As well, Yousef Mehridehno was taken into custody by ICE agents just outside Jackson, MS. Mehridehno’s name is on the “terror watchlist,” and he has been living illegally in the United States for the last eight years.
Yesterday (June 24), the Department of Homeland Security put out a post on X saying in part:
“Under @Sec_Noem, DHS has identified and arrested known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or otherwise.
“We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out—and we are. We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”
Additional reporting indicated that five of the 11 caught by ICE had previous run-ins with law enforcement and a variety of criminal convictions. CPB Commissioner Rodney Scott was quoted in the New York Post: “Though we have not received any specific credible threats to share with you all currently, the threat of sleeper cells or sympathizers acting on their own, or at the behest of Iran has never been higher.” Whether these so-called sleeper cells will become active now is concerning, but the fact that federal law enforcement is on the case is key.
