Posted on 03/21/2005 8:58:37 AM PST by nj26
After the Sept. 11 attacks, it was shocking to learn how easily the hijackers entered the country. What is shocking today is how little progress has been made in securing our borders. Terrorists may well be entering the country by crossing from Mexico or Canada. But it is just as likely that they are coming in the way the Sept. 11 hijackers did: at airports, slipping through the Swiss-cheese security system now in place.
Until this year, immigration officials routinely handed phony travel documents back to people caught trying to enter illegally, and even now visitors are not always required to show the simplest of evidence that they are truly here on a visit: a return ticket. The government still does not have a workable system for monitoring whether visa holders actually leave when their visas run out.
At Senate hearings last week, it was clear that the sense of urgency the nation felt after Sept. 11 has faltered. Only 2 of the 27 "visa-waiver countries," whose citizens can enter the United States without visas, are expected to meet the Oct. 26 deadline for having new machine-readable passports - which was extended from Oct. 1, 2003. And U.S.-Visit, a much-heralded new system for tracking arrivals and departures, has been rolling out at a glacial pace.
One of the most important tasks Michael Chertoff, the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Congress jointly face is pulling in the welcome mat for would-be terrorists. If Mr. Chertoff does not have the resources or legal authority he needs to make the borders safe, he should say so publicly, and often. Among the areas that need to be attended to are these:
1. More Resources at the Borders - A growing number of non-Mexicans are crossing over the Mexican border. And suspected terrorists have long been entering the country from Canada. More guards need to be put in place, and there should be more use of fences and ground sensors to detect movement.
2. Better Means of Tracking People Who Overstay Their Visas - One of the biggest sources of illegal immigration is people who enter the country legally but decide not to leave. The Department of Homeland Security must push to complete work on the U.S.-Visit system so that the government can identify people whose visas have expired.
3. Better Information for Front-Line Immigration Officials - Stolen and lost passports are a major terrorist tool, and not enough is being done to detect them. There needs to be a greater international effort to centralize data about lost and stolen passports, and the data needs to be made available on computers so front-line immigration officials can consult it before admitting a visitor.
4. Shorter Lengths of Stay for Visa Holders - Most of the Sept. 11 hijackers were admitted as tourists and given automatic six-month stays, far longer than the typical vacation. Lengths of stay should be more precisely tailored to the needs of individual visitors - tourism, study or visiting relatives. This may require more resources, but it is worth it to ensure that terrorists are not guaranteed a half-year to prepare an attack.
5. Tougher State ID Requirements - The Sept. 11 hijackers obtained 13 driver's licenses. The rules need to be re-evaluated, so non-citizens cannot get such high-quality identification. This is a complicated issue. Congress needs to find an answer that would not violate civil liberties as some national ID programs would, and also gives undocumented residents access to some kind of driver's license for safety and insurance reasons.
Getting terrorists into the United States is a vital step in most of the worst terrorist scenarios. We now know that Al Qaeda has travel facilitators, who are experts at exploiting the weak points in our border security. The federal government needs t
From the NYTIMES? I'm gonna faint.
I didn't see where they mentioned that the Left opposes any measure aimed at correcting any of the problems.
And anyone who believes her heinous is serious, well the NYSlimes will be selling the Brooklyn Bridge next week.
Yep and there are plenty of people who will vote for her simply because she talks the Buchanan/Tancredo line on immigration & border control. Of course she'd never follow through but reality doesn't matter to some.
And you can count me among them.
Illegal immigration MUST BE STOPPED NOW.
I'd vote for the Devil himself if he would only promise too.
I would vote for for her just to prove a point. If I am going to get Rat policies I'd rather it come from a Rat. And I take no excuses. I voted for the Slick One in 92 because Bush 41 gave us new taxes and the ADA.
I think you are right in both that there are people who will vote for her if she makes these promises and that she won't follow through on them.
And there are lots of Republicans that are mad enough to vote 3'rd party because of the immigration issue. If the Republicans don't change their ways, I might fall into that category. I really like the Conservative Party because it is actually conservative. The Republicans only have to lose a tiny percentage of the folks who voted for Bush in 2004 to lose the election in 2008.
It leaves the Republicans in a tough spot. They can either hispander and drive away conservative close border types like me and possibly lose the election. Or they can stand-up for their traditional law and order, national security and national sovereignty values and possibly lose the election by alienating the Hispanics. I'm kind of curious to see which they are going to choose.
I'm betting they will sacrifice their values and principles in 2008, and find out that Hispanics vote their wallets ahead of their values and that Hispanic Republican support peaked at 40% in 2004.
End of sarcasm.
End of sarcasm.
I think it is /sarcasm, bubba.
This was a very deep response.
If so, please vote for her because it will be an insult for the GOP that people like you will even consider voting Republican.
See # 14 it applies for you as well.
I amquite aware that Hillary iks lying her proverbial ass off. (Lord, is that like trying to imagine if God can make a rock so big He cant pick it up?)
But I am going to vote single issue on immigration law enforcement. Anyone that even wears a button calling for it will get my vote over anyone else that indicates less.
Sorry if that offends you, but dems de breaks, cause I am sick to death of being lied to and ignored.
You know that someone is lying like Hillary Clinton to you but you still vote for them. This is really pathetic.
Write this down and take it to the bank:
If it did not work with Kerry flip flops and lying to the American people about who he really is, it will never work for Hillary Clinton. If you think that flip flops have killed Kerry then you have not seen yet how it is going to obliterate Hillary Clinton political career and make her the most laughable and pathetic candidate to ever run for President.
Mayb e it is pathetic, but it is the nature of single issue voting. It has benefitted Republicans before and it could this time as well.
But the Republic I have sworn loyalty to all my life is in the balance and I will defend it.
Not at all - not in the slightest. But if I have to vote for her to get the message to the PUBS in DC that their open borders crap is UNACCEPTABLE then so be it. I, and many people I know are totally serious about this, and Rove better get the message.
Really pathetic.
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