Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a FOIA request to obtain details from the Department of Homeland Security about individuals on the terrorist watchlist who may be residing in Florida, citing a lack of communication and intelligence-sharing from DHS.

Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on Wednesday over what she describes as a lack of communication from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding individuals on the terrorist watchlist who may currently reside in the state.

In a letter addressed to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Moody noted a faltering of intelligence-sharing between federal and state authorities, particularly in light of a recent report that DHS had released 99 individuals on the terrorist watchlist into the United States. She also indicated that her office filed the FOIA request to obtain further details on DHS’s decisions and actions regarding the released individuals.

“Because of the failures described in this letter, I have submitted the attached Freedom of Information Act request seeking to obtain more information regarding DHS’s failure to protect Floridians from terrorism,” Moody stated.

The letter further calls into question DHS’s approach to managing the security risks associated with the allegedly released individuals and notes Florida’s status as a frequent destination for immigrants, which she argued increases the state’s vulnerability to potential threats. Moody stated that despite the risks, DHS has not provided Florida with any actionable intelligence regarding the whereabouts or activities of these individuals.

“It is my understanding that DHS has provided the State no information or intelligence regarding terrorists who may be present in our State,” Moody wrote. “As you know, Florida is a uniquely attractive destination for illegal immigrants. It is thus likely that many of the 99 terrorists DHS released have traveled to our State.”

The letter also raised concerns about the judicial processes that led to the release of these individuals, with Moody suggesting that immigration judges might not have been adequately informed about the security risks posed by the individuals in question.

“If immigration judges are ordering these aliens released, it is likely because DHS does not have an adequate process to inform these judges that the aliens appearing before them are on a terrorist watchlist,” she wrote.