The Biden administration is criticized by Republicans for refusing to provide information on terror watchlist nationals.

The Biden administration's refusal to reveal information about individuals on the terror watchlist encountered at the southern border has caused outrage among Republicans, who cited privacy concerns as the reason for turning down a Fox request on the matter.

On the "Verdict with Ted Cruz" podcast, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, questioned what Joe Biden, this administration, and the Democrats are hiding.

"Based on their refusal to disclose the countries they came from, I assume that the list is highly damaging."

In October, the FBI received a FOIA request from Planet Chronicle for the nationalities of suspects on the terror watchlist who were arrested at the southern border by Border Patrol.

The Terrorist Screening Dataset (TSDS) now includes individuals who may pose a threat to the US, even if they are not known or suspected terrorists.

Six months after the request, CBP admitted that the information is stored in the Terrorist Screening Dataset but refused to provide it to Fox.

The CBP is granting exemptions to safeguard the privacy of confidential information that could cause an unjustified invasion of personal privacy, while also considering the public's right to access information and an individual's right to privacy.

The privacy interests of individuals in the requested records are more important than any public interest in disclosing the information. Private interests in the information do not affect the balancing test.

Records that reveal techniques or procedures used in law enforcement investigations or those that could endanger the life or safety of any individual are exempt from disclosure.

This year, Border Patrol has had 80 encounters of people between ports of entry, which is lower than the 172 encounters in fiscal year 2023 and the 98 encounters in fiscal year 2022.

The response immediately brought reaction from Republicans.

Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee stated on X, formerly Twitter, that DHS prioritizes the "privacy" of potential national security threats over the American people's right to know where these individuals are coming from.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., urged DHS and CBP to keep track of the number of and nationalities of individuals who have entered the US and are still present in the country.

Issa requested the nationalities of those on the TSDS and those within and surrounding his district.

"As a Member of Congress and in accordance with FOIA, I urge you to share this critical information with me and with American citizens."

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, had previously requested a briefing on the matter, and in a follow-up letter this week, renewed that request for a briefing. However, his office informed Planet Chronicle Digital that DHS had only offered a briefing within a sensitive facility.

He reiterated his request for a briefing and stated that there is no reason to withhold this critical information from the public.