WEAK IMMIGRATION CONTROL INCREASES TERROR THREAT: MICHAEL CUTLER

Posted By on June 14th, 2010

http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.6459/pub_detail.asp

Exclusive: Weak Immigration Control Increases Terror Threat

Michael Cutler

An article recently appeared in the Washington Examiner by Sara Carter, who has written extensively on issues relating to border security.  This news report provides yet an additional example of how smugglers not only smuggle narcotics but aliens.  Furthermore, not all of these illegal aliens are intent on mowing your lawn, washing dishes at the “greasy spoon” diner down the block from your home or doing what the open border’s advocates refer to as “work Americans won’t do.”
To state the significance of this I will simply tell you that the issue of illegal aliens who circumvent the inspections process is one of a number of issues that keep me from sleeping at night.  As I have noted on ever so many previous occasions, the inspections process is designed, when it works as it should, is to prevent the entry of aliens into our country whose presence would be detrimental to our nation and our citizens.
Section 212 of Title 8 of the United States Code enumerates the grounds under which an alien may be denied a visa or barred from admission into the United States. If you take the time to go to the link, you will notice just how detailed that section of law is.  Think about how many lawyers and legislators worked diligently and carefully crafting a section of law that was designed to protect our nation and our citizens from aliens with danger communicable diseases, aliens involved in criminal activities, aliens engaged in terrorism or had committed war crimes, aliens involved with all sorts of activities including aliens who would take the jobs Americans want and need.
The biggest loophole of all to this body of law is the way that our nation’s borders have failed to secure the borders of the United States against those aliens who simply evade the inspections process and, in so doing, bypass the law altogether!
Meanwhile politicians and advocates for open borders engage in absurd debates about whether or not illegal entry into our country is a crime!
Meanwhile our nation continues to expand the Visa Waiver Program!
What is criminal is that there are elected “representatives” who either understand that aliens who run our nation’s borders are circumventing the very laws that were enacted to protect our nation from a wide variety of aliens whose presence in our country would impact our nation in a myriad of ways or are demonstrably too stupid to be members of our nation’s leadership.  Either way they have no business making decisions that impact the lives and safety of our citizens and the security of our nation.
In reading the news report I have predicated this commentary upon, it becomes crystal clear that smugglers are assisting illegal aliens to enter our nation in violation of law and to the detriment of national security as well as a laundry list of other critically important concerns.  This news report parallels others that have recently appeared in newspapers and television programs – a number of which saw fit to include my statements.
The news story cited a government report that was issued in 2006 that contained an account of a particularly disturbing illegal alien – an individual who, when he was encountered by law enforcement authorities, presumably the U.S. Border Patrol, initially claimed his name was “Miguel Alfonso Salinas.”  Other accounts about “Mr. Salinas” indicate that he claimed to be a farm worker from Mexico.  After being interrogated for several days by law enforcement authorities, including the FBI, Mr. Salinas disclosed that he had not given his true name.  He finally admitted his real name was  Ayman Sulmane Kamal.  He was ultimately identified as being a citizen of Egypt.  Obviously this was not a simple matter of an individual who was confused about what he was being asked!  This wasn’t a matter of mis-spelling his name!
This case raises many disturbing questions for which I have, thus far, been unable to find answers.  For example, I would love to know if Mr. Kamal had any official identity documents from Mexico, perhaps, to substantiate his false identity such as a matricula consular card.  I would like to know how he initially gained entry into Mexico.  I would also like to know why an Egyptian citizen would attempt to pass himself off as a Mexican down to changing his name from one that is clearly Arabic to a name that is obviously Hispanic.  (HINT:  I don’t think he did this in order to simply seek employment in the United States – although I do suspect that had he not been stopped and arrested , he might have sought a mundane job as a means of embedding himself in the United States while awaiting contact from some of his “friends”, who most likely had some malevolent intentions.)
Here is another quote from the news report worth considering:
“The Examiner first reported in March on the apprehension of 23 Somali illegal aliens in Mexico who were released in January by Mexican immigration officials. It was later discovered by U.S. intelligence and Mexican authorities that one of the men was a member of the Somali terrorist organization al Shabab, which has direct ties to al Qaeda. So far, the men have not been located.”
I feel really secure knowing that our nation is working cooperatively with the government of Mexico to safeguard our nation!  (NOT!)
My parents used to teach me, when I was a young boy, that if I wanted something done right – I needed to do it myself!  Where our nation’s security is concerned, the time has come for the United States to be able to differentiate between those nations that we can trust – our allies, and those nations we cannot trust.  The highly valuable relationship with our true allies have been strained by the current administration and the greatest harm has been to the security of our own nation!
But before we beat up on Mexico and its officials for releasing those 23 Somali aliens- consider that the program known as “Catch and Release” is apparently continuing even after the previous administration insisted that it had ended that program.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with “Catch and Release” it was a program in which illegal aliens were apprehended by the Border Patrol and then, after the aliens were served with official documents instructing them to report for subsequent hearings before immigration judges – often in the cities they claimed they were heading to at the time they were arrested. They were then released – generally on their own recognizance.  A number of GAO reports indicated that nearly 90% of these aliens failed to show up for their hearings.  As a result, frustrated Border Patrol Agents came to refer to those official documents, known as “Notices To Appear” or NTA’s, as “Notices to Disappear!”
You should also know that the special agents of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) are also encumbered by the same insane situation.  What is even more insane is the fact that aliens from so-called “Special Interest Countries.” that is to say, countries associated with terrorism, are also being released by our own government!
Consider this passage from the news article:
“Of particular concern is the smuggling of criminal aliens and gang members who pose public safety threats to communities throughout the border region and the country,” said the Southern Command report obtained by The Washington Examiner. “These individuals include hundreds of undocumented aliens from special interest countries, primarily China, but also Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan.”
Department of Homeland Security policy requires that many illegal immigrants from countries that have been breeding grounds for anti-American sentiment, known as “special interest aliens,” be released unless there is specific evidence of threat. Most fail to appear for hearings.
“We don’t always know who we have in custody,” said a DHS official who asked not to be named. “We still have a catch and release program, and we don’t always know if those are good or bad guys. It’s difficult to coordinate with our Mexican counterparts, and many times we have no idea who made it across with the aid of the cartels.”
I would like you to consider the magnitude of the problem we are confronting. As you consider this next quote – please remember the wanton loss of life and destruction that just 19 terrorists were able to so easily inflict on our nation on September 11, 2001. In order to enable you to understand just how bad the problem is, consider this:
In the first five years after Sept. 11, DHS reported a 41 percent increase in arrests of illegal immigrants from countries known to have large populations of terrorists from al Qaeda or other anti-U.S. groups. In 2008, the DHS Office of Immigration Statistics reported that federal law enforcement agencies detained 791,568 deportable aliens. According to the agency, 5,506 of them were special interest aliens.
According to the report in just 2008, DHS an agency I have come to refer to as the Department of Homeland Surrender, reported that 5,506 illegal aliens from special interest countries were arrested.   It has been estimated that the Border Patrol only arrests one in three illegal aliens.  This would mean that more than 15,000 special interest aliens had attempted to enter our country in 2008 and at least 10,000 of such aliens could be expected to have entered.  I actually think that the one in three estimate is overly optimistic!  Of course not every alien from a “special interest” country is directly involved in terrorist related activities- but I can assure you that enough are that our national security is being threatened even as you read this commentary.
Now here is something else for you to cogitate upon (cogitate rhymes with aggravate!):  our leaders, in their infinite wisdom allow special interest aliens to be released as well!
Consider this quote from the news report:
Department of Homeland Security policy requires that many illegal immigrants from countries that have been breeding grounds for anti-American sentiment, known as “special interest aliens,” be released unless there is specific evidence of threat. Most fail to appear for hearings.
The real question is what constitutes “specific evidence of threat?”  This almost sounds like something out of the “Pink Panther” and Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau!  Does the illegal alien from a “special interest” country need to have a bomb in his hands at the time he is arrested?  Would possession of a bomb be sufficient or must the fuse have been lit?
As I have noted in previous commentaries- it has been said that a spy has been identified as a person who would not attract the attention of a waiter or waitress at a “greasy spoon” diner.  I have added that the same could be said about an effective terrorist.  Furthermore, it might well be the waiter or waitress who is a spy or terrorist!
Finally I would like you to consider this quote from the news report:
The Kamal case was an “example of getting lucky,” a U.S. official said. “Just think, for every one that is captured, maybe two or three people from special interest nations get through. We don’t know who they are or if they’re planning anything — we just keep hoping that we’ll keep getting lucky.”
Stop and consider that quote and how the unknown U.S. official said, incredibly:
“…we just keep hoping that we’ll keep getting lucky.”
I will offer a quote of something I wrote in the days after the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, said about how the system worked when an airliner was nearly destroyed as it prepared to land in Detroit last Christmas Day.  I said, “If hope is not a strategy, then dumb luck is not a success!”
Would you remain in the seat of an airliner on your next trip if the captain said that he hoped that he would be lucky enough to not crash the airliner?
Would you allow a surgeon to go near you or a loved one with a scalpel if he discussed a medical condition and said that you or your loved one’s life depended on luck and not his (her) skill?
As that unknown official said:
“Just think, for every one that is captured, maybe two or three people from special interest nations get through. We don’t know who they are or if they’re planning anything — we just keep hoping that we’ll keep getting lucky.”
Does this not take your breath away?
I can only imagine that the terrorists have been reciting the same prayer repeatedly, “Dear God make my enemy foolish!”  I think it may be working (for them!)
Government officials whose responsibility is to protect our nation and our citizens from terrorist attacks stating that the survival of our nation and the lives of our citizens depends on little more than luck!
Government officials admit that they are clueless as to who these potential terrorists are or what they might be planning to do and yet such brilliant Congressional “All Stars” are now attempting to ram “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” down the throats of our nation!  Under Comprehensive Immigration Reform, potentially tens of millions of illegal aliens just like Mr. Salinas would be able to easily game the system and acquire lawful status under false names claiming false nationalities.
This is why I continue to make the point that Comprehensive Immigration Reform should be called what it is:  “The Terrorist Assistance and Facilitation Act!”
Meanwhile, in the name of national security we the people are witnessing a continual erosion of our expectations of privacy and freedom in the name of “National Security!”
Immigration is not a single issue but a major factor in nearly every significant challenge confronting the United States today.  Failures to secure our nation’s borders and create an immigration system that has real integrity (and honors those lawful immigrants who follow the laws and play by the rules to join the magnificent tapestry that is America) hammer those challenges and compromises national security, the safety of our citizens and threatens the “American Dream.”
I believe our nation is greatly benefited by the rich diversity of our people which is why I could never imagine living anywhere except New York City, arguably the most diverse city in our nation if not, in fact, the world.  However, my idea of diversity most certainly does not include members of MS-13, the Mexican drug cartels and members of al-Qaeda!
If reading this makes it difficult for you to sleep now,  perhaps you could do something worthwhile. Perhaps you might spend a couple of your sleepless hours writing letters to your elected representatives this evening and remind them that Election Day is just months away!
We the People can add to the consternation of these politicians who are failing to live up to their oaths of office by contacting them and making it abundantly clear that election day is coming and they should think of election day as their personal “Day of Reckoning!”
Our government must live up to its obligation of protecting its own citizens and, indeed, all who are present in our country from the criminals and terrorists who would threaten our lives and the survival of our nation and our way of life.  In the end, the government is actually those who are elected to act as our “leaders.”   Those who fail to truly lead and look out for those they are supposed to represent, need to be sent packing this coming Election Day!
If our country is to survive and if our children and their children are to get their share of the “American Dream” the citizens of this nation must take their citizenship seriously!We must be the best citizens we can be, citizens who are worthy of the gallantry demonstrated by our valiant men and women in the military, law enforcement and firefighters, who routinely go in harm’s way in defense of this nation and our citizens.
My goal in writing this and other commentaries is to point out our nation’s many failings before more victims pay the ultimate price for the incompetence and ineptitude of our government.
The first step in problem-solving is to first identify the problems and vulnerabilities and then devise strategies to overcome them.
If you find yourself to be in agreement with this commentary, I ask that you forward it to as many of your friends and family members as possible and encourage them to do the same.  We need to create a “Bucket Brigade of Truth!”
The  practice of good citizenship does not end in the voting booth, it only begins there. The large scale apathy demonstrated by citizens of this nation has emboldened elected representatives to all but ignore the needs of the average American citizen in a quest for massive campaign funds and the promises of votes to be ostensibly delivered by special interest groups. There is much that we cannot do but there is one thing that we the people  absolutely must do – we must stop sitting on the sidelines!
Our collective failure to get involved in making our concerns known to our politicians have nearly made the concerns of the great majority of the citizens of this nation all but irrelevant to them. I implore you to get involved! If this situation concerns you or especially if it angers you, I ask you to call your Senators and Congressional “Representative. This is not only your right- it is your obligation!  All I ask is that you make it clear to our politicians that we are not as dumb as they hope we are!
We live in a perilous world and in a perilous era. The survival of our nation and the lives of our citizens hang in the balance. This is neither a Conservative issue, nor is it a Liberal issue. Simply stated, this is most certainly an AMERICAN issue!
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Michael Cutler is a Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and a recognized authority who addresses the implications of immigration on national security and criminal justice.
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