On May 10, authorities detained an individual listed on a terrorism watch list after crossing into the United States with a group of migrants traveling from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about border security and the screening of travelers amid a complex migratory flow toward the United States.
In response to the event, Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila told local media that U.S. authorities confirmed the arrest, but she noted that neither the FBI nor Mexican immigration officials had released detailed information about the person or the circumstances of entry into Mexican territory. The governor emphasized the need for more forthcoming data from both sides to fully understand the incident.
Enrique Lucero, who directs Attention to Migrants in Tijuana, commented that this case is not unique. He indicated that individuals have previously been identified as terrorists who crossed illegally from Tijuana into the United States, but warns that North American authorities have not always shared such information for security reasons.
Arrest can be politicized
Activist Albert Rivera Colón, head of the Ágape Misión Mundial shelter, expects the situation to be leveraged for political purposes and sees it as a justification for heightened border security measures by the United States. He also pointed to a broader problem: a perceived lack of cooperation, intelligence sharing, and information exchange between Mexico and the United States that could prevent migrants from entering the border region in the first place.
Rivera Colón also noted that limited cross-border collaboration has coincided with a rise in human smuggling networks known locally as polleros. He warned that the market for smugglers is large and that intelligence efforts against them remain weak or ineffective, contributing to the persistence of the problem over many years.
Meanwhile, San Diego County’s Fifth District Supervisor Jim Desmond publicly confirmed the report that a national of Afghanistan had entered the border with a migrant group and was subsequently apprehended. He stressed that the arrest should serve as a clear reminder to the federal government, including President Joe Biden, of the urgent need to uphold strict border controls and vigilant screening processes.
U.S. officials did not release additional information about the individual at the time. It was noted that the person might seek shelter near the border where camps are located in the area between the border barriers. This development follows the termination of a health-related policy that had allowed for rapid removal of many migrants under a program previously known as Title 42. As the health emergency ended, enforcement shifted to Title 8, which places more conditions on asylum eligibility. Under Title 8, migrants must meet specific requirements and may be required to apply for asylum in the country of transit or face quicker deportation. The shift has intensified scrutiny at the border and continues to shape migrant processing across the region.