Journalist Charlie LeDuff on Terrorist Allowed into US Without Background Check

Terrorist Entry into Michigan

• 🎯 A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Charlie LeDuff, investigated a case where a known terrorist, Asam Bazi, was allowed into the U.S. despite being on the terror watchlist.
• 📍 Bazi was apprehended by border patrol near the Texas border in November and subsequently ended up in LeDuff's hometown of Dearborn, Michigan.
• 🔑 This marks the first known instance of an individual on the terror watchlist being intentionally admitted into the country.

Systemic Failures and Consequences

• 🏦 LeDuff describes the system as "completely bankrupt," noting that Bazi received a social security number, working papers, and a driver's license.
• ⏳ It took LeDuff approximately three to three and a half years of persistent investigation to bring attention to this case.
• 📉 LeDuff highlights that since Bazi's entry, it's been revealed that 98 other individuals on the terror watchlist have also been allowed into the country, with four of them reportedly on Medicaid.

Political and Bureaucratic Obstacles

• 🚫 LeDuff expresses frustration with the lack of follow-up and the bureaucratic processes that allowed such an individual to enter and remain in the country.
• 📞 He notes that while he contacted congressional representatives, only one of two on the Homeland Security Committee responded.
• ⚠️ The journalist emphasizes that this situation is indicative of a broader issue, suggesting that the problem is widespread and that many others on watchlists may still be in the country.