Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned Friday that "it's just a matter of time" before a terrorist comes into the United States through the southern border and kills Americans.
Graham joined "Faulkner Focus" to discuss the national security risk facing Americans and the "low morale" experienced by Border Patrol agents as Title 42 is expected to expire on December 21.
"It's just a matter of time until somebody comes across that border and kills a bunch of Americans because they're a terrorist," he said.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S BORDER WOES INCREASING, AS 2022 DRAWS TO A CLOSE
More than 73,000 illegal immigrants evaded Border Patrol agents in November, according to new data seen by Fox News, marking the highest number ever recorded at the southern border.
The number of "gotaways" refers to the number of illegal immigrants who have evaded overwhelmed Border Patrol agents and have been detected by other forms of surveillance but not caught. It does not count those who were not spotted.
Graham said Border Patrol agents feel "abandoned" by the Biden administration amid reports of suicides.
"They're seeing human trafficking at a level I've never seen. They're overwhelmed with illegal immigrants coming in. People on the terrorist watch list are going right through. So to be a Border Patrol agent under Biden is one of the most miserable experiences I can imagine. To be in charge of protecting America, and the administration you work for will not give you the tools to do your job is very bad for morale," he said, calling on House Republicans to hold hearings in the new Congress on the crisis and "put on the table impeaching people responsible for this."
"Biden has surrendered the border."
SOUTHERN BORDER SECTOR SEES MASSIVE SPIKE IN ILLEGAL MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AS TITLE 42'S END APPROACHES
The Senate Budget Committee ranking member reiterated the risk of terrorism and said the Biden administration has created a "welcome mat for terrorists" as a result of the open southern border.
"You're going to see an increased number of illegal drugs coming in, particularly fentanyl, that will kill more and more Americans, said Graham.
"You're going to see pressure on border communities where the community collapses under the weight. It's just a matter of time before terrorists that are rising in Afghanistan and Syria will make their way through the border to attack us. Their desire to attack us hasn't stopped."
Graham argued that the upcoming end of Title 42 will throw "gasoline on the fire" of the crisis.
"The Biden administration took all the border security measures of the Trump administration and changed them overnight," he told Harris Faulkner.
DHS Secretary Mayorkas has sparked outrage from Republicans by claiming repeatedly — along with other administration figures, including Vice President Kamala Harris — that the border is secure.
"Look, the border is secure," he said in July. "We are working to make the border more secure. That has been a historic challenge."
Fox News' Adam Shaw, Bill Melugin, and Griff Jenkins contributed to this report
