In a letter to congressional leadership, 10 retired FBI directors and counterintelligence experts warn that the Biden administration's border policies have enabled a "soft invasion" of the United States at the Mexico border by young, military-age men.
"In its modern history the U.S. has never suffered an invasion of the homeland, and, yet, one is unfolding now," the FBI officials wrote. "Military age men from across the globe, many from countries or regions not friendly to the United States, are landing in waves on our soil by the thousands — not by splashing ashore from a ship or parachuting from a plane but rather by foot across a border that has been accurately advertised around the world as largely unprotected with ready access granted.
"It would be difficult to overstate the danger represented by the presence inside our borders of what is comparatively a multi division army of young single adult males from hostile nations and regions whose background, intent, or allegiance is completely unknown. They include individuals encountered by border officials and then possibly released into the country, along with the shockingly high estimate of 'gotaways,' meaning those who have entered and evaded apprehension."
A division consists of 15,000 soldiers, according to the Department of Defense.
The Center Square reported that more than 10 million illegal immigrants have entered the U.S. since President Joe Biden took office, including more than 1.7 million gotaways.
"In light of such a daunting, unprecedented penetration by uninvited foreign actors, it is reasonable to assert that the country possesses dramatically diminished national security at this time," the letter said. "The nation's military and laws and other natural protective barriers that have provided traditional security in the past have been thoroughly circumvented over the past three years."
Beginning in 2021, the officials said, the demographics of those crossing the southern border began to shift to "young men from around the world traveling alone and holding questionable motivations."
They argue that the prevalence of these young men "is particularly alarming in light of the Hamas terror attack on Israel last October 7," as such attacks are often copied by other terror groups, and called on Congress to secure the borders against them. Going a step further, they said "those already here illegally must be identified and removed without delay."
"It is stark to say so, but having a large number of young males now within our borders who could begin attacking gatherings of unarmed citizens, in imitation of 10/7 and at the behest of a foreign terror group, must be considered a distinct possibility," the letter stated. "We would be remiss not to call out this potentially grave threat in the most direct terms. The warning lights are blinking."
The letter was addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the chairs of the House Homeland Security Committee and Senate Intelligence Commitee.