While the illegal immigration crisis has focused on the southern border the fact remains that, like many of the September 11 terrorists, nearly half of the nation’s illegal aliens entered the U.S. legally and have overstayed their visas undetected.
This crucial national security problem is the result of the federal government’s inability to implement an important program that tracks when foreign nationals leave the country, despite wasting more than $2.2 billion on flawed technology that the Department of Homeland Security has gambled on to protect the nation.
U.S. Visitor and Immigration Status Indicator Technology (US VISIT) is supposed to track the arrival and departure of foreign visitors but a series of technical problems has prevented it from documenting the exits and many foreigners simply remain in the country illegally. The multi billion-dollar program’s failure has been well documented and was the subject of a lengthy report published recently by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress.
The government’s inability to assure that foreign nationals leave when they are supposed to has created a potentially serious national security threat that has allowed millions of undocumented aliens to live secretly in the U.S., just as many of the 9/11 hijackers did while planning their attack.
A recent study says that up to 45% of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. have overstayed their visas, many from Europe and Asia. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say that nearly 600,000 illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. have ignored deportation orders.
Fortunately deportations of such individuals have risen steadily, from 116,202 in 2001 to 240,779 in 2007. The figure doesn’t include the number of illegal aliens caught at the Mexican or Canadian borders. This proves that immigration is not just a Latino issue, according to the head of an Illinois Polish advocacy group that has seen several countrymen deported recently.
Federal authorities attribute the increase in deportations to help from local police departments that arrest illegal aliens on unrelated offenses and turn them in. After the 2001 terrorist attacks the government called on local law enforcement agencies to assist with the illegal immigration crisis and many have stepped up to the plate although some still refuse. Among them are the Los Angeles, Chicago and District of Columbia police departments which forbid officers from inquiring about suspect’s immigration status.
Not only is this illegal, as Judicial Watch has pointed out in actions against these agencies, it risks American lives by allowing violent criminals who should have been deported to remain in the country and further victimize citizens. Examples include cop killers, rapists, child molesters and drunken drivers that killed innocent families on U.S. highways.
Comments
SANCTIONS NEEDED FOR COUNTRIES THAT DO NOT ACCEPT DEPORTEES
I acknowledge that the United States has been built on the talents and sacrifices of immigrants starting with the first settlers. While this nation has always accepted newcomers it did so by establishing a system of eligibility. America has never promoted open borders. In recent decades our nation has been burdened with an invasion of illegal aliens who have taken jobs away from American citizens and legal resident aliens and who are active participants in violent gangs and other illegal activities.
It has been estimated that more than 25% of the inmate population in the jails throughout the United States are illegal aliens. These Illegal Aliens and their families are also a drain on our social services, schools, hospitals and the taxpayers.
There are approximately 11 million to 20 million illegal aliens currently in our country. When these people are caught, they are usually deported back to their own country. Many of them voluntarily self-deport after they are temporarily released, but many others must be forcibly deported back to their home countries.
The good news is that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has launched an ambitious nationwide effort called “The Secure Communities Initiative” that would deport the estimated 300,000 to 450,000 illegal immigrants locked up each year in jails and prisons in the U.S. In 2007, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed deportation charges against 164,000 illegal immigrants in jail, and removed 95,000. As part of the program, ICE will upgrade computer technology in jails and allow local jailers to access ICE’s fingerprint database to quickly identify prisoners with immigration violations as they are booked. $200 million in funding has already been allocated for the program this year and would add an unspecified number of ICE detention and removal officers. The first priority of the program is removing those convicted of major drug offenses and violent crimes including murder, manslaughter, rape and armed robbery. It is estimated that removing those offenders would cost around $1 billion a year. ICE estimates the cost to remove all convicted criminal immigrants in custody would be $2 billion to $3 billion annually.
There is, however, a loophole in the deportation of illegal aliens because some countries have been refusing to take their own citizens back, both criminal and non-criminal. Currently, there are eight countries that are refusing to accept their own citizens from the United States who have been ordered to be deported from the USA. These countries are China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Jamaica, Laos, India and Vietnam. As of February 2008, these countries are refusing to repatriate a total of 139,000 individuals. More than 18,000 of them are convicted criminals and many have already been released back onto American streets.
It’s time to close the legal loophole. I support legislation recently introduced by Congressmen Michael N. Castle R-DE and Charlie Dent R-PA, who have introduced legislation (HR-5761) in April 2008 in the House of Representatives as a companion bill of The Accountability in Immigrant Repatriation Act of 2008 (S-2720), which was introduced by Senator Arlen Specter R-PA, in the Senate in March. These two pieces of legislation will authorize sanctions against those countries that refuse to accept their deported citizens back. These sanctions are:
A) Countries that deny or unreasonably delay the repatriation of their nationals who have been ordered removed from the United States will not be eligible to receive any federal financial assistance from the United States, and
B) Discontinuing the granting of Visas to nationals of countries that deny or delay the acceptance of their deported citizens.
These two bills would require reports to Congress every 90 days on the countries which inhibit repatriation. Receipt of the report automatically triggers denial of foreign aid as well as suspension of visa issuances to the listed countries.
I propose the addition of two more steps in the process in case the above two procedures do not achieve their goals:
C) Impose “Sovereignty Tariffs” on all imported products from countries that refuse to repatriate their criminals and deportees, and if the sovereignty tariffs do not achieve the goals,
D) Impose a ban on the import of all products from any countries that refuse to repatriate their criminals and deportees.
JOHN W. WALLACE
Candidate for Congress
New York’s 20th Congressional District
www.FreedomCandidate.com
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