Security officials admit that Islamic State fighters could sneak through U.S.-Mexico border

A senior Homeland Security official revealed to Congress that terrorist members of the Islamic State are planning to enter the United States, via the U.S.-Mexican border.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Francis Taylor, the under secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told senators that the Islamic State is known to be plotting ways to infiltrate the U.S. through the southern border.

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"There have been Twitter, social media exchanges among ISIL adherents across the globe speaking about that as a possibility," Taylor told Arizona Senator John McCain.

"Certainly any infiltration across our border would be a threat," Taylor said. "I'm satisfied we have the intelligence and the capability on our border that would prevent that activity."

McCain was dubious about this claim, bringing attention to a video that was released by an activist, which showed him crossing into the U.S. from Mexico wearing an Osama bin Laden mask.

Taylor was unable to provide an answer as to why agents did not stop the activist.

"You can't answer it because they weren't there to stop him," McCain said.

"The fact is there are thousands of people who are coming across our border who are undetected and not identified, and for you to sit there and tell me that we have the capability or now have the proper protections of our southwest border, particularly in light of the urgings over Facebook and Twitter [by ISIL] for people to come across our southwestern border, is a great concern to the citizens of my state," McCain continued.

Taylor did admit that security will need an overhaul.

"The security at the southwestern border is of great concern to the department and I certainly understand the concerns of the citizens of your state," he told McCain. "If I gave you the impression I thought the border security was what it needed to be to protect against all the risks coming across the state that's not what I meant to say."

Numerous other U.S. officials have warned that the growing Islamic State is a clear and present threat to the United States and its citizens.

"We remain mindful of the possibility that an ISIL-sympathizer-perhaps motivated by online propaganda-could conduct a limited, self-directed attack here at home with no warning," said Matthew Olsen, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center.

"We have seen ISIL use a range of media to tout its military capabilities, executions of captured soldiers, and consecutive battlefield victories," Olsen said. "More recently, the group's supporters have sustained this momentum on social media by encouraging attacks in the U.S. and against U.S. interests in retaliation for our airstrikes. ISIL has used this propaganda campaign to draw foreign fighters to the group, including many from Western countries."

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