Posted on 02/18/2005 11:37:09 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
WASHINGTON — Rep. Solomon Ortiz has been sounding an alarm since last summer that al-Qaida might exploit the porousness of the nation's southern border and now the Department of Homeland Security agrees with him.
Admiral James Loy, deputy Homeland Security secretary, said in written testimony he gave the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday that "recent information from ongoing investigations, detentions and emerging threat streams strongly suggests that al-Qaida has considered using the southwestern border to infiltrate the United States."
Loy said that al-Qaida operatives believe they can pay to get into the country through Mexico and that entering illegally is "more advantageous than legal entry."
But Loy also said there's no conclusive evidence that al-Qaida operatives have entered the country illegally through those methods.
Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, has been urging the federal government to end its practice of releasing non-Mexican immigrants awaiting deportation hearings after they've been arrested for illegally entering the country. The majority of the non-Mexican immigrants released are from Latin American countries.
Officials have said that detaining the immigrants would be costly.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement keeps in custody those that have committed crimes or are considered a public threat and on average have about 21,000 people in custody daily nationwide.
Cathy Travis, a spokeswoman for Ortiz, said some who are arrested and released are from "countries of interest."
"Brazil is one. It's a visa waiver country with Mexico. A bad guy who wants to go to the United States, can first go to Brazil, and then go to Mexico and at that point it's easy to go north and cross illegally and not be caught or be caught" and released, Travis said.
Countries with visa waiver agreements allow each others' citizens to enter their countries without visas.
Last summer, Ortiz said that "credible sources" told him that a Border Patrol agent found on a watch list the name of a woman arrested at the McAllen airport with a damaged passport. Federal officials continue to deny that claim.
Earlier this year, he suggested the MS-13 gang, which has its roots in El Salvador and is also known as Mara Salvatrucha, may have links to al-Qaida.
Loy named MS-13 as one of several violent criminal groups that pose a legitimate threat to homeland security, though those groups are "not necessarily connected to transnational terrorist groups."
Loy also said the United States is a "harder target" for terrorists and undocumented immigrants than in the past because of improvements in security since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
"There is much evidence to convince us that interdiction measures have improved; intelligence is working, technology has helped and far fewer illegal immigrants are now able to enter our ports of entry or cross our border than in the past," Loy said in his testimony.
Fortunately Al Qaida is restricted to communicating by secure messenger now. They know we’re listening in to cell phones and internet commo.
Thank you, National Security Agency.
So am I. Preferably Hollywood or San Francisco. That's where the foot dragging is coming from.
More on this & sad to say I never saw this story reported even in the Dallas news.
Not only 'catch & release'......FREE TAXI SERVICE !!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1338537/posts?q=1&&page=101
"Border Patrol Releases Immigrants at Bus Station"
Nonsense on both counts. The nation is already serious about the WOT, and the illegal immigration crisis is being dealt with already.
See my link in # 25......
Looks like TX, ONLY, is releasing 30K OTM's yearly, 70% NEVER show up for their hearing.
Also note, BP provides free taxi service to the bus station.
Officials have said that detaining the immigrants would be costly. <<
Maybe these same *officials* could tell us the *costs* at tracking down the 70% (in TX ONLY) that choose to never show up for their hearing.
THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION/TERRORIST CONNECTION, PART XXXVIII
By Michelle Malkin · February 17, 2005 03:34 AM
The New York Times reports:
New intelligence information strongly suggests that Al Qaeda has considered infiltrating the United States through the Mexican border, top government officials told Congress on Wednesday....
snip----
In the past, law enforcement officials have said Al Qaeda might try to use the Mexican border, but the testimony on Wednesday seemed to suggest increasing concern. In response to questions from the senators, Admiral Loy described it as a "very serious situation...."
Good thing the White House is on the case. Not.
For more on the vulnerability of our southern border to terrorism, see here, here, and here.
http://www.michellemalkin.com/
"Can citizens SUE elected officials?"
An attorney on this forum said one would have to sue "agencies" rather than the officials. Much of what many citizens are going through with II would have to fall under the category of a "taking". I'm surprised someone (enviro's) hasn't sued under the Environmental species act because of the
degredation of "protected habitat" with the foot traffic from the south. Have you seen some of the pictures of what they do to the environment? The latino gangs are raising crops of marijuana in national parks in California. It's crazy.
You've been here for almost a month and THIS is your first post?????
The possibility that a terrorist could enter from Mexico and attack us?
The possibility that the attack will come from a sleeper that has been in this country all along?
Just a politician playing one group against another. The justification used to be "It's for the children", now it's "It's for for security"
How many of the Saudi 9/11 bombers were notified by mail to renew their voter registration - SIX MONTHS AFTER 9/11 - and AFTER THEIR MISERABLE MUGS WERE PLASTERED ON EVERY MEDIUM KNOWN TO GOD AND MAN!
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