Eight Tajikistan men detained in NYC, LA and Philadelphia over possible ISIS ties: Sources

Eight men from Tajikistan were arrested on Tuesday (June 11) by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the weekend in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles due to suspected connections to ISIS, according to sources familiar with the case.

The suspects had been on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force radar and were arrested by personnel with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, the sources say.

“All eight suspects entered the US via the southern border, and initial background checks didn’t reveal criminal activity,” briefed the officials.

Two of the men crossed the border in spring 2023, and one of those men used the CBP One app which the Biden administration created to permit migrants to book appointments to claim refuge, the officials say. 

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was tracking a possible terrorist threat from Central Europe. The arrested men came under scrutiny during this investigation, according to the sources.

A senior US official said the FBI was keeping an eye on the group for several months and kept close tabs on their activities. 

While they have not been charged with a terrorist connection yet, the FBI alerted ICE they should be arrested because of potential ties to ISIS.

The suspects have been detained and face elimination proceedings before an immigration judge, and they could later face terrorism-related charges, two sources say. 

“Over the last few days, ICE agents arrested several non-citizens pursuant to immigration authorities,” the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

These arrests were the result of close collaboration between federal authorities. The detainees, currently in ICE custody, face removal proceedings.

(With inputs from agencies)