Johnson, Scalise demand briefing after Hamas-linked arrest in Louisiana

FIRST ON FOX: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., are sounding the alarm to the Trump administration after a man allegedly involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel was arrested in Louisiana.

Johnson and Scalise, both from Louisiana, led Republicans in their delegation in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem regarding the case of Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi.

They requested a briefing from Bayou State lawmakers as well as information on any other potential terrorist threats, which they blamed on the record increase in illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border under former President Joe Biden.

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Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise are leading Louisiana Republicans in demanding answers about a suspected Hamas-linked terrorist arrested in their state last week. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; FBI Affidavit; Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“We appreciate the work you are doing to keep Americans safe here at home and we are writing to you as members of the Louisiana Congressional delegation to request a briefing on how Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi came to reside in Lafayette, Louisiana, after entering the United States in 2024 during the Biden Administration’s dangerous open border policy,” the lawmakers wrote from Louisiana.

They cited public information and reports that “Al-Muhtadi participated in the Hamas-led terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, and entered the United States the following year after falsely concealing his affiliations on his visa application.” »

“He was later found living and working in Lafayette, Louisiana, before being arrested by federal authorities,” they wrote. “We would also like to be informed of any additional terrorist threats in our state due to President Biden’s dangerous and deadly immigration policies.”

The letter is also signed by Louisiana Republican Representatives Julia Letlow and Clay Higgins, as well as Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy.

Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, pictured left, “entered Israel with the intention of participating in the Hamas terrorist attack” on October 7, 2023, according to the FBI. (Department of Justice)

The DOJ, which announced Al-Muhtadi’s arrest late last week, said he entered the country under false pretenses on September 12, 2024.

A press release from the department accuses the 33-year-old of being part of the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), a Gaza-based group that it says participated in the attack alongside Hamas.

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“As noted in documents filed yesterday, on October 7, when Al-Muhtadi learned of the ongoing barbaric attack against Israel and civilians in several countries, including the United States, he took action,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.

“He armed himself, recruited additional marauders, then crossed into Israel, where there is evidence placing him near one of the worst-hit Israeli communities.”

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There have been numerous reported cases where people suspected of terrorist affiliations entered the country under the watch of the previous administration.

In March of last year, a 22-year-old man linked to Hezbollah was arrested by border agents in Texas and immediately taken into custody by federal law enforcement, according to the New York Post. He was deported earlier this year.

Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for a response, but did not immediately receive a response.