Republican leaders demand a DHS briefing after a Hamas-linked terrorist, involved in the October 7 massacre, was found living in Louisiana under the Biden administration.
In a stunning revelation that has reignited the U.S. border security debate, a delegation of senior Republican lawmakers from Louisiana is demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after the arrest of a Hamas operative who had been quietly living in the state.
The suspect, Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, 33, a native of the Gaza Strip, was arrested on October 16 for his alleged involvement in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre in southern Israel, one of the bloodiest terrorist assaults in modern history.
In a joint letter issued Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, and Representatives Clay Higgins and Julia Letlow demanded a full classified briefing on how the terrorist entered and resided in Lafayette, Louisiana. The lawmakers emphasized that his entry took place in 2024 under the Biden administration’s “dangerous open border policy.”
“It is disgusting that Democrats’ failed open border policies allowed this to happen, putting our national security and Louisiana families at great risk,” said Rep. Scalise. “I’m grateful that President Trump and the FBI are taking swift action to keep Americans safe from this terrorist.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Al-Muhtadi allegedly lied on his visa application to conceal his Hamas affiliations, allowing him to slip undetected into the United States.
FBI records show that during the October 7 atrocities, Al-Muhtadi’s cell phone pinged near Kibbutz Kfar Aza — the site of horrific civilian massacres and kidnappings. Investigators allege he coordinated the movement of an armed Hamas squad into Israeli territory and later posted images of Hamas leaders online, openly boasting of his allegiance despite warnings from an associate to keep a low profile.
He now faces federal charges for visa fraud and conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, carrying severe criminal penalties.
Republican lawmakers say the case is proof of a catastrophic security failure and are demanding DHS reveal how a known Hamas operative could exploit immigration loopholes to reach American soil. The discovery, they warn, shows that the terror networks threatening Israel are now infiltrating U.S. borders.
National security experts are calling for immediate action to tighten vetting protocols, particularly for entrants from terror-affected regions, emphasizing that the Biden administration’s lax enforcement risks enabling future infiltrations.
As one congressional aide put it, “What began as an attack on Israel has now crossed the ocean — this is no longer a foreign threat, it’s a domestic one.”