Lindsey Graham requests full Senate briefing on ISIS border threat after terrorist bust

close

Video

NYC Dem warns 'we're headed for another 9/11' after latest terror nab

Fox News’ Alexis McAdams reports on the arrest of eight illegal immigrants with alleged ISIS ties who passed through the southern border without being flagged.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is asking Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to organize a full briefing for lawmakers in the chamber on the threat of ISIS terrorism presented by the vulnerable southern border. 

The senator requested the leaders' "immediate assistance" to set up a classified briefing for senators on the issue in a letter sent Tuesday. 

"I have never been more worried than I am right now about an attack on our homeland due to the combination of the Biden Administration’s shameful withdrawal from Afghanistan and broken border policies. This is a lethal cocktail for America," Graham said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

BIDEN PUSHED TO REVOKE AL JAZEERA CREDENTIALS AFTER ISRAELI HOSTAGE REPORTEDLY FOUND IN JOURNALIST'S HOME

Sen. Lindsey Graham during a hearing on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

His urgency on the matter was prompted by a recent revelation that eight Tajikistan nationals with ties to ISIS were busted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI in New York City, Los Angeles and Philadelphia after entering the country illegally over the southern border. The sting was first reported by the New York Post’s Jennie Taer.

A federal source told Fox News that the suspected terrorists had been fully vetted prior to being released into the country. 

"While members of the Intelligence Community have offered piecemeal briefings to Congress, I believe that the threat is urgent and that a briefing should be held with all members before the Senate's scheduled departure from Washington, D.C. at the end of next week," the South Carolina Republican wrote. 

DEMS CLAIM GOP 'CONSPIRACY THEORIES CRUMBLED' AFTER HUNTER BIDEN GUILTY VERDICT

Neither Schumer's nor McConnell's offices immediately responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Following the reports of the ISIS-tied immigrants' arrests, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI said in a statement, "Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several non-citizens pursuant to immigration authorities. The actions were carried out in close coordination with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces. The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings."

SUPREME COURT HISTORICAL SOCIETY BLASTS 'SURREPTITIOUS' RECORDING AS DEMS TARGET JUSTICE ALITO

A group of migrants attempts to enter the U.S. illegally by rushing a border wall opening, March 21, 2024. (James Breeden for New York Post / Mega)

"As the FBI and DHS have recently described in public and partner bulletins, the U.S. has been in a heightened threat environment. The FBI and DHS will continue working around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt potential threats to national security."

‘LOOSE CANNON’: SENATE DEM ESCALATES ATTACK ON JUSTICE ALITO AFTER SECRET RECORDING

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and migrants at the southern border. (David Peinado/Anadolu via Getty Images | Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Graham's request comes as fears of terrorism originating at the southern border continue to heighten. 

"The fact that these eight ISIS suspects got through the southern border really is a travesty," retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard said on "Fox & Friends" in response to the latest event.

MIKE LEE PRAISES TRUMP FOR RESISTING CLINTON LAWFARE, WARNS BIDEN OF SLIPPERY SLOPE

FBI Director Christopher Wray warned of terrorist threats.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified last year that foreign terrorists who are potentially among groups of individuals illegally crossing the border are a "source of great concern for us. That's why we're aggressively using all 56 of our joint terrorism task forces."

Wray further revealed at the time that they had observed an increase in known or suspected terrorists that have sought to cross the border over the last five years. Notably, encounters with individuals on the terror watchlist rose to a record sum in fiscal year 2023. 

Fox News' Bill Melugin and Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price contributed to this report.