Three people were killed - including the suspect - and 14 were injured on Sunday in an early-morning mass shooting in Austin, Texas, that is being investigated by the FBI as a possible act of terrorism linked to the US-Israel joint strike on Iran dubbed Operation Epic Fury. The goal of Epic Fury – a mission that President Donald Trump now says could take weeks – is to trigger the collapse of the Islamic Republic so Iranians can take control of the government.
But as tensions escalate in the Middle East, attacks like the one in Austin are raising serious questions at home, particularly about Iranian nationals and terrorist-linked individuals who were allowed to enter the United States during President Joe Biden’s single term.
Iranians and Biden’s Open Border
During President Biden’s administration, more than 1,500 Iranian nationals were arrested after illegally entering the United States across the US-Mexico border. Of those who were apprehended, nearly 50% – or 729 individuals – were released into the US, a senior US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) source told Fox News last year.
CBP authorities encountered a growing number of Iranian nationals each year during Biden’s administration, with arrests soaring from just 48 in fiscal year 2021 to 797 in fiscal year 2024. The number of Iranians released into the US similarly rose, with nearly 450 in FY24 alone.
It is unclear exactly how many of those Iranians are still in the United States. In January, CNN reported that the Trump administration deported 14 Iranians back to the Islamic Republic. Late last year, Iranian officials said two groups of 55 and 120 Iranians were deported by US authorities.
Terror Threat: ‘High Alert’
After US and Israeli forces killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a top official in the flailing Islamic Republic issued a call for “jihad” against America and Israel, according to The Telegraph. Amid the growing threat of a retaliatory attack taking place on American soil, US agencies and authorities are beefing up their security across the nation:
- FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the bureau’s counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high alert over domestic threats.
- The Texas Military Department announced increased patrols along the US-Mexico border and power facilities.
- Domestic military bases authorized enhanced security measures, including random vehicle inspections and 100% ID checks.
- US Capitol authorities implemented heightened security processes.
Reflecting the actions of US leadership, many Americans on social media are urging their countrymen to keep their heads on a swivel in the coming days. And this concern is driven by more than the fog of war. A 2024 House Judiciary Committee report revealed that the Biden-Harris administration “released into American communities at least 99 illegal aliens on the terrorist watchlist.” The report continued:
“[T]he Biden-Harris Administration released into the United States at least three illegal aliens with potential ISIS ties after the aliens used the Administration’s CBP One app to arrive at a port of entry and be processed into the country. Meanwhile, one former senior ICE official admitted to the Committee that the Biden-Harris Administration’s open-borders policies make it more difficult for ICE to arrest national security threats in the United States.”
According to the FBI’s website, the bureau has responded to threats related to Iran for years, including “attempted terrorist attacks and kidnappings, espionage and foreign influence operations, cyber attacks, sanctions evasion, and illicit procurement of sensitive technology to support Iran’s military capability and nuclear program.”
Even with the FBI on high alert and agencies across America deploying enhanced security measures, will the American people ever truly be safe from the consequences of President Biden’s open border?
