FBI Director Wray Expresses Concern Over Border Gotaways

FBI Director Christopher Wray expressed "great concern" over the number of illegal immigrants evading Border Patrol agents and escaping into the country, stating that threats from the other side of the border are consuming FBI field offices. The number of "gotaways" has exceeded 600,000 in FY 23, and sources suggest over 47,000 gotaways since the beginning of the new fiscal year. Wray testified that there has been an increase in known or suspected terrorists attempting to cross the border, with encounters on the terror watchlist hitting record numbers. Concerns about terrorism have been renewed following the Hamas terror attack on Israel, and Republicans blame the Biden administration's policies for the potential risk. The Department of Homeland Security's threat assessment warned that terrorists and criminal actors may exploit the elevated flow and complex security environment to enter the United States.