Illegal immigration is putting our national security at risk, according to nationally syndicated columnist and author Michelle Malkin, who spoke last week at a Young America’s Foundation conference in Washington, D.C.
Malkin said the U.S. was nowhere near where it should be in addressing the issue, especially with regard to the war on terrorism.
“There are upwards of 10 million illegal aliens in the United States,” Malkin said, “400,000 of who have already been ordered deported, but are on the loose in the U.S., after having been released by the federal immigration authorities.”
The Department of Homeland Security has determined that 78,000 illegal aliens are from terror-supporting or terror-friendly countries, and are in this country right now. After having been apprehended and then subsequently released, 94% have never been found again and never deported.
With approximately 2,000 agents available to track them down, the Department of Homeland Security remains at a distinct disadvantage.
“Since 9/11 we have lots of new laws and a lot of new agencies, lots of new acronyms,” said Malkin, “and a lot of new spending to fight off foreign invaders, but our immigration policy continues to leave the doors of our nation open wide.”
“Catch-and-release,” she added, “remains the standard operating procedure for illegal aliens by our federal immigration authorities.”
According to a 2004 Time magazine article, illegal immigration causes substantial harm to American citizens. The costs to the public include: medical care facilities driven out of business by illegal aliens requiring free care; communities across the nation being overrun with crime perpetrated by illegals as well as the heightened risk of terrorism.
To make matters worse, Malkin said, “legislation such as California’s 1994 passage of Proposition 187, which restricts taxpayer funds for such goods as free education and free hospital treatment to illegal aliens is often characterized by the elite media as racist.”
“Political correctness is the hand-maiden to terrorism,” Malkin warned.
Her solutions to the problem include: increased funding for border enforcement, no more amnesties, and to “start enforcing the law, now!”
Title 8, Section 1325 of the U.S. Code, titled Improper Entry by Alien,” states: Any citizen of any country who has entered the U.S. illegally has committed a federal crime. Violations are punishable by fines and imprisonment for up to six months. Repeat offenses can bring up to two years in prison.
“Everyday somebody suffers from illegal immigration,” Malkin said. “We are all minutemen now.”
