Sanders repeats claim on terrorists at the border refuted by administration's own data

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Sunday repeated a false claim put forth by her and other Trump administration officials about the number of suspected terrorists apprehended at the southern border, one that is contradicted by the administration's own data on the topic.

Sanders appeared on "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace and was asked about comments made by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen last week. Nielsen said Customs and Border Protection "has stopped over 3,000 what we call 'special-interest aliens' trying to come into the country in the southern border. Those are aliens who the intel community has identified are of concern."

Wallace pointed out that special-interest aliens are those hailing from "countries that have ever produced a terrorist. They're not terrorists themselves." Wallace cited a State Department report stating there is "no credible evidence" of terrorists crossing the border with Mexico.

Sanders responded by connecting the issue of terrorism with the fight over border security.

"We know that roughly, nearly 4,000 known or suspected terrorists come into our country illegally, and we know that our most vulnerable point of entry is at our southern border," Sanders said. In an appearance on "Fox and Friends" on Friday, Sanders falsely said last year there were "nearly 4,000 known or suspected terrorists that CPB picked up that came across our southern border."

Wallace interjected on Sunday, saying he had "studied up" on the statistic.

"Do you know where those 4,000 people come [from], where they're captured? Airports," Wallace said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/sanders-repeats-claim-on-terrorists-at-the-border-refuted-by-administrations-own-data/ar-BBRSK6P?li=BBnb7Kz