(ConservativeHub.com) – According to reports by The Associated Press, eight people suspected to have ties to the Islamic State (ISIS) were arrested across the United States recently.
The individuals were arrested in Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles and had allegedly entered the country through the Southern border.
At the time of reporting, how these individuals are connected to the Islamic State has not been made clear, but the suspects were reportedly being pursued by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. The individuals are also said to be from Tajikistan. It was reported that the FBI had been investigating a terror threat from in Central Europe and were watching the migrants as part of that probe.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement worked alongside the FBI’s task force to arrest the individuals. They are reportedly working to have them deported.
The individuals allegedly entered the country last spring after making it through the screening process.
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI also said that “several non-citizens” had been arrested, adding that the U.S. had faced a “heightened threat environment.”
Reporting by CBS News indicated there was no active plot by the individuals against the U.S. There was also reportedly no sign they were connected to ISIS when they first underwent vetting by authorities.
The eight migrants were purportedly released after entering the US with notices to show up in immigration court in the future. Police, however, were reported to have been concerned about them.
Currently, all eight individuals have been detained and face deportation proceedings. However, deporting them to Tajikistan could be challenging because of diplomatic and operational strain with the Middle Eastern country.
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