An illegal immigrant accused of shooting an off-duty border officer in the face was reportedly vetted by immigration agents over Zoom.

Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, was arrested earlier this week after allegedly shooting a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer in a botched robbery attempt in Fort Washington Park, New York.

It has emerged that Mr Nunez crossed into the US from Mexico in April 2023, and was allowed to stay following a virtual immigration appointment with an agent working the US-Canadian border, the New York Post reported.

The video calls were used to speed up processing times under the Biden administration, according to the Post.

“The whole system was overwhelmed by what the Biden administration was allowing,” Charles Marino, a former senior Homeland Security adviser told the newspaper.

Virtual interviews were a ‘nightmare’

In April 2023 alone, more than 183,000 migrants crossed into the US at the southern border.

Border agents recruited colleagues on the northern side to question them via Zoom, law enforcement sources told The Post.

One Homeland Security adviser told the paper the virtual interviews were “a nightmare” that they could not ensure thorough vetting.

Owing to a lack of detention space, Mr Nunez was released into the US with a notice to appear in front of an immigration judge and orders to report to his local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, insiders claimed. A judge ordered the Dominican national to be deported when he failed to turn up to court.

Mr Nunez’s DNA was not taken at the time because of a shortage of swabs, sources told The Post, and he had no criminal record.

He is said to have remained in the country illegally and was arrested four times, including for reckless driving and assault.