EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 6:25 p.m. to include a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The war in Israel may be over 7,000 miles from the Rio Grande Valley, but several Republican politicians have claimed that members of Hamas could be among the mass number of migrants crossing the border.

Republican senators visiting the Valley last week expressed the same concern.

READ MORE: Cornyn and Cruz lead senators on border tour in the Valley

Valley Congressman Henry Cuellar, a ranking member of the subcommittee on Homeland Security, said he supports law enforcement being on high alert — but there's little to indicate a serious threat. 

“How do you find out who is a member of Hamas? They don't hand out ID cards,” Tamer Balci, a UTRGV professor of modern Middle East history, said.

Baci and his colleague — national security expert and assistant professor Andreea Stoian Karadeli — said they have their doubts about politicians' claims, adding that Hamas fighters don't have a history of traveling. 

“Who would benefit from it? Why would they be here?” Karadeli said. “They don't really have experience operating outside."

Balci said another reason to doubt the concerns is the difficulty of leaving the Gaza Strip.

“The only crossing is into Egypt, the Rafah crossing,” Balci explained. “They can go, but Egypt doesn't want to allow everybody crossing. They only allow wounded and someone with desperate healthcare needs."

Channel 5 News reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to learn if any of the alleged arrests in the Rio Grande Valley sector were individuals on the terrorist watch list who belong to Hamas. 

On Wednesday evening, CBP provided the following statement:

"CBP has seen no indication of Hamas-directed foreign fighters seeking to make entry into the United States."

Channel 5 News also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, who said encounters with known or suspected terrorists are "uncommon."

"DHS is and will always work tirelessly to screen, vet, and prevent anyone who poses a threat from entering the country," DHS said in a statement. "?Encounters of known or suspected terrorists?attempting to cross the Southern Border, or encounters of those associated with such individuals, are uncommon. These encounters may include individuals who are not known or suspected terrorists, but can include individuals associated with a known or suspected terrorist, to include family members of watch listed individuals."