Goodlatte Presses DHS for Information on Two Men Convicted of Plotting with ISIS
November 29, 2016
Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today pressed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson for information on two men convicted in the United States for conspiring with ISIS.
In June 2016, Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi were convicted of conspiring to provide material support for ISIS, along with other terrorism-related and fraud charges, and recently sentenced to imprisonment for 30 years. Both men used social media to discuss terrorist attacks and expressed a desire to die as martyrs. Some media reports indicate that Elhuzayel is a citizen of Israel and a naturalized citizen of the United States, while others reflect that he was born in the United States. According to reports, Badawi is a citizen of Sudan. Both were residents of Anaheim, California at the time of their arrests.
In his letter to Secretary Johnson, Chairman Goodlatte calls on DHS to provide Elhuzayel and Badawi’s immigration and criminal histories to the House Judiciary Committee in order to understand how they became radicalized and whether there were indicators of their radicalization that DHS should have been aware of prior to their arrest. Chairman Goodlatte’s letter to Secretary Johnson is pasted below.
November 29, 2016 The Honorable Jeh Johnson Secretary Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20528 Dear Secretary Johnson: Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi were convicted of conspiring to provide material support for ISIS, along with other terrorism-related and fraud charges June 21, 2016. Both men were sentenced to imprisonment for 30 years on September 26 and October 19, respectively. Their plot involved facilitating Elhuzayel’s travel abroad to join ISIS fighters. Both used social media to discuss terrorist attacks and expressed a desire to die as martyrs. Some media reports indicate that Elhuzayel is a citizen of Israel and a naturalized citizen of the United States, while others reflect that he was born in the United States. According to reports, Badawi is a citizen of Sudan. Both were residents of Anaheim, California at the time of their arrests. It is important for the Committee to understand how Elhuzayel and Badawi became radicalized and to determine whether there were indicators of their radicalization that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should have been aware of prior to their arrest. Therefore, please provide a briefing to Committee staff on this case on or before December 13, 2016. Additionally, please provide the following information no later than December 15, 2016:###As you know, the Privacy Act authorizes disclosure of information to committees of Congress. Upon receipt of this letter, if it appears that you will not fully respond to each and every request for documents or information set forth above, please immediately contact Tracy Short, Counsel, Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, at (202) 225-3926, and identify the specific item(s) requested to which you will not fully respond and explain why you will not respond. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely, Bob Goodlatte Chairman
- The alien registration numbers for Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi, if any, their complete, unredacted alien files (A-file), including any temporary files, working files, or Service Center files, and all documents and items contained in them, all documents generated by DHS or in its possession about them, whether currently in written or electronic form, including, but not limited to, all Reports of Investigation (ROI), executive summaries, criminal histories and immigration summaries, detainers or requests for notification, I-213(s), and Notice(s) to Appear or other charging documents created to seek their removal from the United States.
- Please identify each and every date on which Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi were encountered by a law enforcement agency in the United States, to include criminal and civil arrests, the nature of the charge, the jurisdiction where the arrest occurred, the disposition of each charge, the date(s) on which they were released from the custody of that law enforcement agency, and the reason(s) for the release. Please provide the arrest and disposition documentation for each encounter.
- How and when did Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi enter the United States? Were they ever served with a Notice to Appear? Was it filed with an immigration court? Please explain.
- Have Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi been removed previously? If so, when?
- Has ICE issued a detainer or request for notification to any entity regarding Nader Elhuzayel or Muhanad Badawi? Please explain.