These deportable aliens included
two Syrians,
seven Sudanese, and
17 Iranians,
all nationals from the three Islamic countries that the U.S. government officially classifies as state sponsors of terrorism.
Federal authorities also track "special interest countries" from which terrorism could be directed against America. Over the aforementioned period, 99 of those nations' citizens also were nabbed on the border.
They were
two Afghans,
five Algerians,
13 Iraqis,
10 Lebanese,
22 Nigerians,
28 Pakistanis,
two Saudis,
14 Somalis, and
three Yemenis.
During FY 2007 and FY 2008, federal officials caught 319 people from these same countries traversing America's southwest border.
WSB-TV recently publicized an April 15, 2010, "population breakdown" of immigrants detained at a facility in Florence, Ariz. Of the 395 males behind bars, 198 were Mexican,
18 hailed from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
