As many as 18,000 terrorists entered the US during the Biden administration, National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent revealed during a House committee hearing on Thursday.
“So far, NCTC has identified around 18,000 known and suspected terrorists that the Biden administration let come into our country,” Kent testified before the House Homeland Security Committee.
“These are individuals who under normal circumstances would never be allowed to enter our country because of their ties to jihadi groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda,” he said.
“Yet the Biden administration not only let them into the country and in many cases facilitated their entry into the country just like the entry of the Afghan terrorists who committed the terrorist attack here just before Thanksgiving, killing one of our National Guard members and wounding another.”
The FBI foiled other ISIS terror attacks in Michigan and New Jersey earlier this year.
A self-described Hamas operative also infiltrated the ranks of the US Air Force in 2023 and later planned to carry out a pipe bomb attack with two others — before he was thwarted in April.
Before Trump took office, a suspected ISIS terrorist mowed down and shot at New Year’s revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people.
Kent pointed out in the House hearing that the accused National Guard shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was “just one of 88,000” Afghans — and his counterterrorism office has since “identified 2,000 of that group of 88,000 who have ties to terrorist organizations.”
(Read more: New York Post, 12/11/2025) (Archive)
On January 5, 2026, President Trump posts this interview with Tulsi Gabbard discussing this same issue:
Witness the full House Homeland Security hearing as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, NCTC Director Joseph Kent, and FBI Operations Director Michael Glasheen testify on “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland”. This explosive session covers the latest domestic and international threats, terrorist alerts, border security, illegal immigration concerns, and cybersecurity risks facing the United States today. From the rise of ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Antifa, to detailed insights into counterterrorism operations, border enforcement, and national security grants, this hearing exposes the challenges that threaten American safety. Don’t miss the hard-hitting Q&A, urgent warnings, and high-stakes revelations that have Congress on edge. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and understand the measures protecting our country.