Top Senate Dem calls for probe into Muslims prosecuted by DOJ for illegal border crossings

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called connected nan Department of Justice connected Thursday to analyse whether migrants from Muslim-majority countries are being targeted for prosecution erstwhile crossing nan confederate separator successful Texas.

In letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland and DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, Durbin cited "the emergence of Islamophobic attacks" and urged nan officials to respond swiftly to questions complete imaginable favoritism against individuals from Muslim-majority countries.

The Senate Judiciary president noted that successful a Los Angeles Times investigation of prosecutions during an 18-month play opening successful October 2021, complete 60% of individuals charged nether a conception of nan U.S. codification that criminalizes nonaccomplishment to study oneself astatine a designated U.S. separator crossing constituent were from Muslim-majority countries. The Los Angeles Times gave examples of Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and Mali arsenic immoderate of nan countries that nan prosecuted individuals hailed from. 

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Sen. Dick Durbin asked nan Department of Justice to analyse if group from Muslim-majority countries who illegally transverse nan confederate separator are being discriminated against successful prosecutions. (Getty Images)

"These trends are highly troubling," Durbin claimed. "Prosecutions targeting individuals based connected their religion, nationalist origin, aliases different protected characteristics are anathema to nan norm of law." 

As for nan accrued usage of a definite conception of customs law, arsenic alleged by Durbin successful his letter, Lora Ries, nan head of nan Border Security and Immigration Center astatine The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital, "It is imaginable that this hasn't been utilized overmuch arsenic a charge, but truthful what?"

"If group are crossing illegally, what's incorrect and tragic? I mean, Congress passed this law, truthful why can't prosecutors usage that to complaint group crossing illegally?" she asked. 

Iran and Syria are some designated by nan Department of State arsenic authorities sponsors of terrorism. In nan State Department's 2022 Country Reports connected Terrorism, it outlines threats beyond these countries. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) "maintained an enduring world enterprise, promoting a large-scale coercion campaign crossed nan Middle East, Africa, and Asia," it wrote astatine nan time.

The State Department besides identified threats successful Afghanistan pursuing nan U.S.'s 2021 withdrawal deemed by galore to person been conducted improperly, specified arsenic attacks connected civilians by ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K). 

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A combatant of nan Islamic State of Iraq successful nan metropolis of Mosul, June 23, 2014. (Reuters)

According to Durbin, "The interest that nan Department of Justice (DOJ) is targeting for prosecution migrants from Muslim-majority countries is heightened by nan use" of nan nonaccomplishment to study law. 

"I constitute to definitive superior interest complete reports that asylum seekers from Muslim-majority countries are being disproportionately prosecuted for alleged improper introduction by nan Justice Department," he said, besides citing nan summation successful prosecution nether nan rule "nationwide."

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A group of complete 100 migrants attempts to participate nan U.S. illegally by rushing nan border, March 21, 2024. (James Breeden for New York Post / Mega)

Durbin's missive to Horowitz additionally requested that nan inspector wide "investigate whether nan Justice Department is aliases has been targeting migrants for prosecution based connected their religion, nationalist origin, aliases immoderate different protected characteristic."

The DOJ declined to remark erstwhile reached by Fox News Digital.

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This comes arsenic FBI Director Christopher Wray precocious warned Congress of nan heightened threat of terrorism, peculiarly arsenic it relates to nan vulnerability of nan confederate border. 

FBI head nominee Christopher Wray testifies during his confirmation proceeding earlier nan Senate Judiciary Committee connected July 12, 2017, connected Capitol Hill. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Asked astir world coercion threats, Wray told Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., nan Judiciary Committee ranking member, past year, "I americium concerned that we are in… a heightened threat situation from overseas violent organizations for a full big of reasons," highlighting "Their expertise to utilization immoderate larboard of entry, including our southwest border." 

"We person seen an summation successful alleged KSTs, ‘known aliases suspected terrorists’, attempting to transverse complete nan past 5 years," he said astatine nan time. 

Reacting to nan letters, Ries claimed Durbin was "trying to make this astir Islamophobia, but nan cartels displacement wherever they're crossing [and] who they're crossing constantly." She noted that Durbin wasn't asking Customs and Border Protection for accusation related to "the constitution of overseas nationals crossing occidental Texas astatine that clip aliases those times."

She additionally questioned Durbin's prime to item nan lawsuit of an incarcerated Afghan, without considering nan U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Afghan parole programme already successful spot to assistance individuals seeking introduction to nan U.S.

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Durbin's agency did not supply remark regarding Ries' questions successful clip for publication.