A former Border Patrol sector chief has testified to lawmakers that he was prevented from informing the public about illegal immigrants who could pose potential terror threats, alleging that the Biden administration sought to downplay the danger.

“In San Diego, we had an exponential increase in Significant Interest Aliens [SIAs]. These are aliens with significant ties to terrorism,” former San Diego Sector Chief Patrol official Aaron Heitke told the House Homeland Security Committee. “Prior to this administration, the San Diego sector averaged 10-15 SIAs per year. Once word was out that the border was far easier to cross, San Diego went to over 100 SIAs in 2022, way over 100 SIAs in 2023, and more than that this year,” he stated, adding, “These are only the ones we caught.”

Heitke revealed that he was instructed not to release information about the rise in SIAs. “At the time, I was told I could not release any information on this increase in SIAs or mention any of the arrests. The administration was trying to convince the public that there was no threat at the border,” Heitke said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for a response to Heitke’s claims.

With immigration being a key issue for the 2024 election, Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for the border crisis, accusing them of rolling back Trump-era policies that had aimed to control illegal immigration.

Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., expressed frustration, saying, “As we continue to witness Biden and Harris’ resistance to doing anything meaningful about this disaster, we have to ask — why? Why did they let this crisis take place, and why have they let it continue?”

Heitke also testified that he would release illegal aliens “by the hundreds” daily and noted that flights, costing around $150,000 each, were used to transport illegal immigrants from San Diego to Texas. Additionally, he highlighted the closure of San Diego traffic checkpoints, which were essential for drug interdiction, including fentanyl.

Democrats and the administration have pushed back, accusing Republicans of obstructing funding and reform bills, including a bipartisan Senate bill introduced this year. They argue that recent administration efforts have been successful in reducing border encounters and improving border security.

“While you probably won’t hear it from those on the other side, border encounters are at their lowest level in years since the president’s proclamation on June 4, and encounters along the border and ports of entry have decreased by 55%, with Border Patrol recording the lowest number of border encounters since September 2020,” said Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the committee’s ranking member.