Overview

• A 39-year-old Russian national born in Tajikistan was taken into custody on May 23 after officials in Tajikistan flagged him as an Al-Qaeda fugitive.
• He was first detained at California’s San Ysidro Pedestrian West port of entry in March 2023 for lacking an immigrant visa and was subsequently paroled into the United States.
• ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia Field Office Director Brian McShane said the arrest resulted from close collaboration with the FBI to address potential terrorist threats.
• The suspect remains in ICE detention pending formal removal proceedings under U.S. immigration law.
• The case has intensified scrutiny of national security vetting and Philadelphia’s sanctuary policies that restrict local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.