Paul Davis: ICE arrests local Russian national accused of al Qaeda membership

Back in June of 2015, Donald Trump, launching his presidential bid, criticized the Obama administration for allowing illegal immigrants to swarm across the southern border. He noted that Mexico was not sending the U.S. its best people.   

“They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some, I assume, are good people,” Trump said. “But I speak to border guards and they’re telling us what we’re getting,” he said.

President Trump, then and now, has been condemned by many for calling some of the illegal aliens drug traffickers, criminals and rapists. 

But looking at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) roundup of illegals these days, one can clearly see that President Trump was right. ICE has arrested many illegals with criminal records both here and in their home countries. The crimes range from murder to child rape to armed robbery.

As well as one illegal alien and accused terrorist who used a makeshift flame thrower and Molotov cocktails to attack Jews in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder, incidentally, is a sanctuary city.

On June 2, the Justice Department filed charges against illegal alien Mohammed Sabry Soliman, the alleged perpetrator of the antisemitic terrorist attack in Colorado.

“The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world.

“This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe.”

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon also weighed in, stating “No American should experience violence motivated by hatred based on their faith or national origin, and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice. There can be zero tolerance for such acts in our great nation.”

According to the Justice Department, Soliman is being charged with a federal hate crime in addition to facing state charges for attempted murder in Colorado.

And on June 3, ICE announced the arrest of another illegal alien, a Tajikistan-born Russian national who is wanted overseas, and who is suspected of ties to the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, right here in Philadelphia. 

ICE announced that ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia, in partnership with the FBI, arrested a 39-year-old male, born in Tajikistan and a citizen of Russia, in the early morning hours on May 23. His name was not released.  

“Arresting individuals linked to terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda reaffirms our unwavering commitment to safeguard the homeland. Through close collaboration with our outstanding partners at the FBI, we have taken decisive action to make our communities safer and prevent potential threats to the American people,” said ERO Philadelphia acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “I commend the dedicated men and women of ICE and the FBI for their tireless efforts and steadfast resolve in protecting this great nation.

“This individual was first encountered at San Ysidro Pedestrian West point of entry in California March 21, 2023, where he was charged as an inadmissible alien under the Immigration and Nationality Act because he didn’t have an immigrant visa. He was served a notice to appear before an immigration judge and paroled into the United States. Tajikistan officials declared this individual a fugitive, wanted for organization of a criminal community. It is alleged that he is or was a member of Al-Qaeda. After his arrest, this individual was detained in ICE custody, where he will remain pending removal from the U.S.”

I wonder if the illegal alien with suspected ties to Al-Qaeda was planning a terrorist attack here in Philadelphia. Thankfully, ICE has rounded him up.

According to ICE, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers enforce immigration laws within the interior to preserve national security and public safety.

“ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including the identification, arrest, detention and removal of aliens who are subject to removal or are unlawfully present in the United States.

“Like all law enforcement agencies, ERO officers prioritize their enforcement actions based on agency and department priorities, funding and capacity. ERO operations are flexible enough to allow its officers to respond to events such as spikes in border crossings, modifications to U.S. laws, pandemics, and natural disasters at home and abroad.”

ICE’s ERO is super busy locking up the illegal alien drug traffickers, criminals and rapists that President Trump spoke of back in 2015, both here in Philadelphia and across the nation.    

Paul Davis, a Philadelphia writer and frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty, also contributes to Counterterrorism magazine and writes the “On Crime” column for the Washington Times. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.