WASHINGTON — Texas Republicans in Congress are seeking answers from the Biden administration about the armed British national who took hostages at a Colleyville synagogue a little more than two weeks ago. Lawmakers want to know how he was able to enter the U.S. and if there were breakdowns in the screening process.
The British national who held four people hostage inside a Colleyville synagogue before he was shot dead by the FBI was known to British intelligence. Malik Faisal Akram, 44, was a “subject of interest” two years ago by the United Kingdom’s MI5. The inquiry eventually was dropped. His brother reportedly said Akram had mental health issues and a criminal past as a teen. These revelations are raising concerns in Congress.
“The fact that this particular hostage-taker wasn’t on the no-fly list, even though he was known to law enforcement, is of concern,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters after visiting the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. “There will be investigations conducted not only at the local and state level, but at the federal level too to try to figure out how this individual slipped through the cracks and threatened the lives of four innocent Texans.”
Both Texas’ senators and their Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee sent letters to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department pressing for details about how Akram entered the U.S. FBI officials confirmed to Capital Tonight they received the letter.
“We do not, I think, adequately limit entry into this country for people who’ve shown they’re here for legitimate purposes,” Cornyn said. “I think that largely falls at the feet of the federal government.”
After meeting with Jewish leaders in North Texas last week, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, condemned antisemitism, saying, “It is evil. It is horrific. It is dangerous. And it has been used to justify some of the most horrific atrocities this planet has ever seen.”
He emphasized the need for congressional oversight.
“I’m going to keep pressing for answers. But as of now, the administration has not provided answers that I think the American people deserve to know. What did we know? And how could we have prevented this terrorist from coming to America and committing this act of terror?” Cruz said.
A lot of his discussion with the Jewish leaders, Cruz said, was looking at how to improve federal programs that provide funding to help houses of worship with security and to try to make it so more religious leaders who apply get approved.
“I intend to work to significantly increase the funding that is available so that more houses of worship are able to receive grants to harden and strengthen their facilities,” he said.
The lawmakers also want more information about the intelligence sharing and communication between the U.S. and U.K. before and after the synagogue siege.
“For God’s sake, I, in my dealings with Homeland Security, really thought we gotten to the point where that information was automatically shared. It should have been in this case and that is what should be investigated to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, told Capital Tonight.
Republicans also want to clarify if Akram entered under the Visa Waiver Program, which allows certain nationals to visit the U.S. for a limited period with less vetting than a visa or green card recipient.
As the former chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, McCaul had advocated for tighter rules for the program.
“At that time, the threat of external operations and (people) coming into this country to kill Americans, it was still very real. I would have to say we made it safer. We haven’t seen one of these in a while. That’s good news. But we don’t want to return to that time,” McCaul said. “We do need to reexamine these policies.”
White House officials said Akram was repeatedly screened using federal law enforcement databases prior to entry and there was no derogatory information about him in the U.S. government’s systems.