Turkish national warns of gaps in border security after illegally crossing into the US

A Turkish national who recently entered the United States illegally across the southern border said Americans should be “concerned” about lax security and the types of people entering the country.

In an interview with Fox News’ Bill Melugin at the US-Mexico border, the migrant recounted how he and a group of other Turkish nationals paid a Mexican cartel to allow them to enter the US through Jacumba, California. The man described how easy it was to cross the border illegally and agreed that Americans are “rightly” concerned about who is coming into the country.

Turkish man who just illegally crossed the US border immediately becomes border hawk, says he's worried about who's coming in and warns of the possibility of "killers and psychopaths" entering the country. Basically, the American dream in 30 seconds.pic.twitter.com/4KXHLD96xd

— Shadi Hamid (@shadihamid) May 23, 2024

“The American people are right. Absolutely right. Who is coming into this country? They don’t know,” the Turk told Melugin. “I’m [a] good [person], but what if they’re not good? What if they are murderers, psychopaths…. no security check, no background check.”

Melugin said on X that these individuals had previously been denied visas multiple times. Frustrated by the denials, they opted to pay the cartel with their money to enter the country illegally and were shocked at how easily they were able to cross the border.

The number of Turkish citizens entering the United States illegally via the Mexican border since 2021 has reached nearly 40,000, according to official data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The data show that 39,882 Turkish nationals crossed the border illegally.

Nationwide encounters with Turkish nationals who crossed the border illegally since 2021 stood at 54,383, according to official data.

Since a failed coup in 2016 that led to a widespread crackdown on dissent by the Turkish government, the number of Turkish nationals seeking asylum in Europe, Canada and the US has seen a significant increase.

An ongoing cost of living crisis in the country caused by skyrocketing inflation, which stands at close to 70 percent, is also prompting some Turks to seek ways to leave the country for a better life elsewhere.

Moreover, yet another victory by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose party has been ruling Turkey since 2002, in the May 2023 presidential election led to great disappointment among his opponents, prompting many of them to reconsider living in the country.