Leaving the Back Door Wide Open

As if we didn't already know this. Sometimes the tardiness of the media, on important matters such as this, is simply mindboggling.

Yahoo News: Study: Terrorists Exploit Immigration Laws---

WASHINGTON - Suspected or convicted foreign-born terrorists have routinely exploited federal immigration laws over the last decade to enter or remain in the United States illegally, according to a report set for release Tuesday.

Once in the country, some of them became naturalized citizens, says the report distributed by the Center for Immigration Studies, an advocate for stricter immigration policies.

The report provides newly compiled data on U.S. terror arrests to illustrate gaps in the nation's border security, visa approval and immigration systems. It was written by Janice Kephart, who served as counsel to the 9/11 Commission that investigated missteps leading to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"The attack of 9/11 was not an isolated instance of al-Qaida infiltration into the United States," the 46-page report found.

"In fact, dozens of operatives both before and after 9/11 — other than the 9/11 hijackers — have managed to enter and embed themselves in the United States, actively carrying out plans to commit terrorist acts against U.S. interests or support designated foreign terrorist organizations," the report concluded. "For each to do so, they needed the guise of legal immigration status to support them."

Overall, 59 of 94 foreign-born nationals who were either convicted or indicted on terror charges broke federal immigration laws to enter or remain in the country between 1993 and 2004, the report found.

These are very scary statistics. Read the entire article for more.

The Preamble to the Constitution charges the government with providing "for the common defence." By chosing not to secure our borders, the government has failed to "provide for the common defence," at least in this respect.

These crimes, and even 9/11, were preventable---if immigration laws had been enforced and our borders were militarized. Both the Democrats and Republicans who are supposed to be protecting us have failed to do this. The Democrats really don't believe in enforcing these laws and the Republicans try to win over the Hispanic vote by not stopping people at the Mexican border, as is our right as a sovereign nation.

Illegal aliens are one of my biggest pet peeves. I cannot watch stories about illegals because I become very angry. This is our country---not theirs'. They have no right to come here, break our laws, use our money and services, and expect us to conform to their culture instead of the other way around.

And now we have the War on Terror. How can anyone say we are safe if we don't know who is coming over our borders and we do not try to stop them? How do we know that terrorists haven't brought in nuclear weapons or waste to make dirty bombs? How do we know how many Al Qaeda members are living amongst us?

If poor, uneducated, non-English speaking Mexicans can find their way across the border and disappear into the country, then what can well-funded, educated terrorists do? Obviously, as the 9/11 hijackers did, they can appear to be the neighbor in the next apartment.

It is a blessing that Americans have finally taken this into their own hands. With groups like The Minutemen taking charge and patrolling the borders, we are finally shining a spotlight on this problem. President Bush and Congress are on notice. If they don't do their job, then we'll find someone who will.

Our lives depend on it.