Our busted deportation system strikes again
My syndicated column today explores the persistent homeland security lapses that allow visa overstayers and deportation fugitives like the Boston-area men arrested yesterday in the Times Square bombing plot to embed themselves in the country with impunity. Since I filed the piece, there has been at least one more immigration-related arrest in connection with the counterterror investigation.
A related must-read: Jessica Vaughn at CIS has a thorough analysis of Faisal Shahzad’s immigration history: “So Easy, Anyone Can Do It.”
And one more point: The government still can’t track foreign visa holders nearly 9 years after 9/11, but now the feds want to track every child’s Body Mass Index. Priorities. (h/t Allahpundit)
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Our busted deportation system strikes again
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2010
Wouldn’t it be grand if the Obama administration cared more about policing our borders than about policing our refrigerators? How about fixing our deportation system instead of fixing our junk-food diets?
First Lady Michelle Obama argued this week that obesity is a “national security” issue. But her husband allows far greater threats to go unabated. The FBI’s arrests of two Boston-area men tied to the Times Square bombing attempt — both held on immigration violations — underscore the continuing homeland security lapses.
FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents say two men of Pakistani descent were taken into custody during a series of New England-, New York- and New Jersey-based raids on Thursday. Federal officials believe the individuals may have provided cash to Times Square bomb plotter Faisal Shahzad. One was here on an expired visa. The other was on the loose while an immigration court adjudicated his deportation and removal order. He had reportedly been ordered deported in 2002, yet managed to embed himself in American society for more than seven years. But for the ability to detain potential illegal aliens on “administrative” charges, the men most likely would have remained free.
(How convenient that the White House can choose to enforce immigration laws in the interest of public safety and then threaten to sue Arizona for stepping in and doing the same when the feds refuse to enforce those laws consistently.)
Failure to crack down on visa overstayers and failure to stop the deportation revolving door are two key security vulnerabilities that lawmakers vowed to address after 9/11.
There are currently more than 2 million illegal alien visa overstayers in the country, along with an estimated 500,000 illegal alien absconders who have ignored orders from immigration judges to leave the country. Voluntary departure policies — granting illegal aliens the privilege of deporting themselves on an honor system — have allowed countless law-breakers to remain in the country. There are federal laws mandating up to 20 years in jail for those who re-enter the U.S. illegally after being deported, but the provisions are enforced sporadically.
The endless immigration litigation system lets known deportation fugitives stay in the country pending endless appeals (just ask President Obama’s illegal alien absconder aunt Zeituni Onyango, whose 2002 asylum request was rejected and yet who remains here in taxpayer-subsidized public housing while awaiting the outcome of a second immigration hearing).
Just two months ago, the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner reported on lingering obstacles to enforcement and deportation of visa overstayers and absconders, including insufficient detention capacity; limitations of its immigration database; and insufficient staffing. “While most visitors leave by the time their visas expire, many thousands remain in the United States illegally,” Skinner testified before Congress. “Overstays perpetuate the illegal immigration problem by using the visa process to break the law to remain in the United States. Moreover, some overstays represent a very real national security risk to the nation.”
Indeed, they do. The Nationwide Visa Overstayers Club includes dozens of jihadists, including 9/11 hijackers Mohammed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Hani Hanjour, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Satam al-Suqami; 1997 New York subway bomber Lafi Khalil; 1993 World Trade Center bombers Mahmud and Mohammed Abouhalima, Mohammed Salameh and Eyad Ismoil; and 1993 New York landmark bombing and conspirator Fadil Abdelgani.
Before 9/11, no comprehensive foreign visitor entry-exit tracking system existed. Open-borders lobbyists, the travel industry, civil rights absolutists and ethnic grievance groups have lobbied hard ever since to stall full implementation of coordinated databases.
The rallying cries of the May Day illegal alien marches this month implored President Obama to “Stop the raids!” and “Stop the deportations!” While their underlings launch select counterterrorism and immigration raids to track down the global network of “lone wolves,” Attorney General Eric Holder and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano have been all too happy to threaten punitive measures against local and state officials who understand that reckless immigration enforcement moratoriums carry grave domestic security consequences.
Last time I checked, the government’s fundamental duty “to provide for the common defense” did not include the qualifier “when it’s politically expedient.” Or “as long as special-interest feelings are not hurt.” Or “only after catastrophic security breaches force us to do so.” Which version of the U.S. Constitution is Team Obama reading?
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He definately has his priorities all screwed up
I don’t think Obama was kidding when he threatened possible suitors of his daughters with drones..
They’re not reading our constitution. They’re tramping on it.
Great piece. Being American needs to mean something more than someone who pays taxes.
If our government wants to grant citizens of the world citizenship, then we shouldn’t have to pay taxes anymore.
American sovereignty needs to mean something or America won’t exist in the future. Our government is used to punish Americans instead of protecting us.
I have never felt so strongly anti-government in my life, even with the anti-war demonstrations in the ’60s. We are run by a greedy incompetent congress, with a dreamer/rookie in the WH. I can only hope we will survive this by 2012.
I think that explains it pretty well.
Do we need to state the obvious? Unless and until DHS and the feds get serious about securing the border, enforcing deportation is a rather moot point. If these people are really determined, they can be back the next day.
These are the two main charges against the administration’s handling of immigration and illegal aliens and I do not feel they will ever act on addressing either of these unless the GOP retakes both Houses of congress this fall, and in large majorities.
Good luck with that, unless the GOP is washed of it’s mccain and shamnesty RINO’s it won’t matter either way, they are going to pander for illegal votes regardless of what party we’re in. GOD BLESS ARIZONA FOR TAKING A STAND! VIVA LOS SB1070!!!
Good article MM.
A couple of related points worth noting:
a). Approx. 40% of all persons illegally present in the US entered initially with some type of visa (student, tourist, temp. worker, etc). The fact that there are so very many overstayers/abusers of the system suggests that USCIS is way too lax in granting visas to people obviously not worthy of such thing.
b). In international polls taken regarding moving to America, desirability as a place to live, etc. approx. 70% of all persons polled expressed a desire to want to live in the US. 6,500,000,000 x .7 = one helluva a lot of people. We can’t take in everyone and we can’t allow outsiders to define the rules by which they come here. We have to do that. Rules and the enforcement of those rules is the key.
You’ve all heard AG Holder hasn’t even read the AZ SB1070 law… but has proceeded to criticize it nonetheless (?)
For the progressives it could be called the “Depends” Constitution. THeir intepretation changes as needed for their BS ideology, as in: Question: “What does that mean?”. Progressive’s answer: “Well, it depends on what we want it to mean.”
1. That presumes they are reading it.
2. Why read it when it is just a listing of negative rights and doesn’t spell out what the country should do for the people.
3. When Dems parse the word “is”, it doesn’t really matter anyway. Every word has multiple meanings, and they will choose the meaning that suits them.
4. They don’t need to read it anyway because they’ve shown that they can smell new rights from the ‘emanations’ of ‘penumbra’.
In the age of the boy (man child) president its a daily assault of the very fabric of decent people and society.
Lie after lie after lie after lie followed by lecturing, deception, corruption…. by THE most disingenuous regime ever assembled. All the drive by media is in complete lock step carrying the regime’s water, including continuing to demean anyone or anything conservative.
Anyone that thinks this POSER doesn’t plan to assume complete control and power after the financial collapse he is perpetrating and directing are clearly delusional. The man child POTUS is EVIL personified.
When I was working for a Salt Lake restaurant in the early 80′s we had a dishwasher that didn’t speak much english. One day he didn’t come to work and I saw on the news that ICE had rounded up some illegals. He was back in three days. Said he had to “go home” for a couple days. Don’t ask, Don’t tell was the rule of the day at work.
I think he ended up getting amnesty in ’86.
Obowmao: I don’t know, I haven’t written it yet.”
The primary responsibility of the U.S. government is to protect the territorial integrity and people of this country. They have completely abdicated this responsibility. Both parties have been complicit in this. We are being told it is not possible to control our borders, enforce our laws, and thereby control our destiny as a nation. Hogwash. We are being sold out by corporations intent on importing workers for jobs that can’t be exported with the taxpayers paying the true costs, financial and human. If we act like sheep and don’t stop the inundation across our borders, we will lose our country without a bleat.
Constitution? What Constitution? To quote Crazy Pelosi, “What does the Constitution have to do with it?” Americans better wake up and vote out these incumbents who have DONE NOTHING to address our very serious immigration problems over these many, many years. If you haven’t read Michelle Malkin’s earlier book on immigration, now is the time to read it and remember !
Actively, consistently, continuously enforcing existing laws will send the message that we are serious about our laws. Changing them to accomodate people breaking them sends the opposite message. And not just to those already here. Millions are waiting to see which tack we take. Amnesty will set off a stampede like we have not seen before. Enforcement will start the flow in the other direction as the jobs and benefits dry up. Those pushing for amnesty are for surrendering to the demands of the illegal aliens and their employers, abandoning the rule of law and surrendering our sovereignty. We should not change the laws to suit those breaking them.
It’s a plan…. When we are invaded, the skinny people cand run away, we of the chubby persuasion, can’t run so fast and will be caught or shot. Two birds with one stone. Destroy our country, and the fat people at the same time.
Of course they are obviously not paying attention to the big rears of MO and daughters. As long as their arms are skinny, to heck with the rest of the body Heh?
The government is doing exactly what has happened to other Constitutions in other countries. It’s accepted (by oath here), politicians shake hands and smile, and then it’s filed away, never to be seen again. To “support and defend” is a lie, universal among marxists. Just like other marxists’ lies, when it comes to labeling their countries (Democratic Republics), for example. Unfortunately for them here, there are people who love their rights and liberties. According to the government, we’re “terrorists” now; more dangerous than that “unnamed religion”.
So, does anybody know where Auntie Zeituni is?
Have you noticed you never see Auntie Zeituni and Faisal Shahzad in the same room at the same time…
Eric Holder doesn’t read the law.
Auntie is still living in taxpayer funded housing in Boston.
Why would we expect the government to check out anyone’s documentation when ALL of our elected representatives and Supreme Court Justices accepted a jpeg on the internet as proof of eligibilty for the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave?
American citizens are expendable. Why waste any money on homeland security when it can be spent on nanny state programs. The gov would rather control everything about our lives while ignoring the border, a broken immigration system or crimes committed by illegals.
We have 3 distinct problems related to immigration that deserve to be addressed separately and in the following order:
1. Stop the invasion. Our country is being overwhelmed by invaders from another country. To stop the invasion, we need to enforce our existing laws and prevent illegal entry into the United States.
2. Deport the Invaders. Once the borders are secure, we will be able to deport invaders as they become known. If they are self-deporting, we could assist them without penalty. However, if we find them after a grace period, we should take their ill-gotten gains (that didn’t get sent to Mexico), then deport them.
3. Temporarily halt all VISA and Immigration applications. After the border is secure and we have most invaders deported, we can start cracking down on the immigration problem. Stop all VISA applications until we have the means to track violators. Once the means is in place we can determine if any adjustments are necessary to our VISA requirements and immigration procedures.
Richard Clowen and Frances Piven advocated overwhelming and then collapsing the American system in order to bring it down. Obama is using the same tactic with immigration. If the system is overwhelmed, we will have no other choice but to grant amnesty and hope it doesn’t happen again. This accomplishes exactly what Obama and his sychophants want. More voters who are dependent on government subsidies.
If anyone thinks Obama is naive or incompetent, think again. Every action is designed to bring this country down so a new global government can move in.
Ask yourself these questions:
1. Is Obama working to solve the critial problems of the economy and domestic security? Or is he tackling the social issues and consolidating power and control?
2. When he does attack a problem and given a choice on what road to take when addressing that problem does he take the most beneficial and efficient path or the path that will be the most destructive to the country.
It is incredulous for the Democrats to continue doing what they do with the elections coming up. But, it’s only incredulous if you believe they really care about getting re-elected. They are willing to fall on their proverbial sword in order to further their progressive agenda.
If it is not stopped soon, the elections won’t mean a thing.
Goodbye America! You’re going the way of other nations that are now lying on the trash heap of history. Collapsing from within.
A private company under contract with the government could do this in a matter of a few months if not weeks. And g_d help them if they over-charged one dollar on the contract – the FBI would be all over them like a pack of weinerdogs. Yet somehow this benign and benificent socialist government of ours can’t seem to figure out how to assemble their own basic database and tracking system. And they certainly won’t sic the weinerdogs after their own nameless and incompetent bureaucrats and politicians.
We should all give voice to our rage and disgust over this wretched goverment’s perverse malfeasance.
mmmmmm yes. Cloward and Pivens, two shining beacons of light emanating from the dark pit of Socialism. Oh the joy of contemplating their compassionate wisdom. What a ghastly modus operandi for any human being to conceive. Short their repentance, I would hate to see what these guys face at the Judgement.
My guess is they’ll have an eternity to contemplate their choices.
Spud Butt Syndrome? Besides the dishonest and venal there are the lazy and stupid.When you combine the dishonest and venal with the lazy and stupid you have pretty much summed up our governments-Federal-state and local- from top to bottom. Their #1 job-Continental Defense is beyond them.
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When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed.
We keep seeing all the polls with high percentages of hispanics saying they support a road to citizenship. No one has asked them if they support amnesty for all illegals in the country or just those from our southern neighbors? They are racist to the core because they know they have few skills to compete in an honest job market.
We can cure the whole thing by denying any kind of benefits to anyone for 5 years that is applying for amnesty, and instant deportation if found collecting it. Along with that, send their anchor babies home with them.
No one here illegally should ever have the ability to become a citizen, EVER!!! That should be the price that one pays for ignoring the immigration laws. Why should law breakers be give any slack for violating the law. Our law makers have been delinquent in the area for too long and need to own up to it. The immigration system should have been changed long ago to reward those who played by the rules. There has to be a severe and permanent punishment for being in the country illegally, including the end of the anchor baby perk.
It is all part of the plan to divide this country. Secular humanism, illegal alien Marxism, and moon god worship speed the process.
Arm yourselves.
Invaders are not immigrants…illegal or otherwise.
We speak of being invaded and they speak of immigration?
INVADERS ARE NOT IMMIGRANTS (or migrant workers or undocumented workers..etc).
The invaders come here, live on as little as possible, send home as much as possible, collect all the freebies, while working and cheating on taxes, then swap places with another from their home country, then retire and live like a king. With the hugh difference in dollar value, they go back home and live better than we do!
They are thieves, not just poor looking for a better life in the US. All thieves are just ‘looking to make their living conditions better’. But these theives are looking to make their life better in Mexico by stealing from the US citizens.
rambler, you are correct. No one that has broken Federal law to enter the country should be given citizenship. We both know that our congresscritters of both parties support it, albeit for different reasons. How come we never see ICE raid homes and businesses in Dearborn and Detroit. I’m betting that half the middle easterners there are illegal. Only when a crime is so blatant the authorities cannot ignore it do we see deportations. I’m sick of every illegal, no matter the country of origin.
Forgot to add to my #37
I used to believe in refugees being given legal status too…but, that was back when I was in school and totally clueless. I don’t see any reason to relocate thousands to isolated areas in the U.S. placing undue hardships on services, schools, and it’s citizens.
Sanctuary for political refuges turned out to be a Trojan horse that bit us on the butt. Cuban Boat Lift, Russian Mafia and every two bit thug in the world emptying his prisons on us. Let those poor souls stay home and solve their own problems. We have enough problems of our own.
Oh, Neanderthal – you forgot the gift that keeps on killing, MS13…
O/T – did anyone else see where CA’s Guv. Girlyman is going to make ‘horrendous’ cuts in benefits to reduce their billions $$ of debt? How are those sanctuary cities working out for you? Your illegals can’t go to AZ. Maybe NM with all of their jobs and benefits. Perhaps NV? Nevermind, you’re surrounded by states that are broke and/or fed up.
I don’t think that the Obama “Team” is really into “reading” that much. . .especially the constitution.
They won’t fix out borders…..
….But he’ll bail out…TEACHERS…
our borders…
The CFR controled government has kept it busted on purpose. The last nation state must be changed to allow a North American Union.
Search CFR North American Union. Don’t take my word for it.
I finally got one!
A “Tax Cheat” Tim Geithner signed federal reserve note.
Now where did I put that stamper?
Been waiting a long time…..
Just watched “Border Wars” on NGC. Another attempt to protray illegals as poor, misunderstood people just seeking a better life. They did show the “fence” at Nogales. It ends out of the town. An easy walk around.
The basic, core necessity for having a government is to secure the blessings of liberty, and secure our rights against all enemies, foreign or domestic. This actual enumerated federal power to provide for our security would preclude getting blown up innocently walking around Times Square were this government not so interested in other more pressing priorities like ruining the health care system, keeping unemployment high, and spending the money of future generations as fast as possible.
This is of course is if you read the Constitution as it was written verses making it mean anything that you want it to mean to enable ones power over the people.
Remember we have a president that thought wearing an American flag lapel pin was over the top, bans words like “jihadist” and “terrorist”, thinks of Chavez and Castro as his buds, but thinks Beck and Limbaugh represent real threats to our country.
Somehow I suspect that if these foreign infiltrators were thought to be a threat to join a Tea Party group their whereabouts would be known at all times.
Uh, yeah, the system is really working great isn’t Big
SisNitwits?…and in an article today, Owebowma is whining about the spectacle of oil executives pointing fingers elsewhere for the spill in the Gulf, sniveling about the system not working.
How about fixing things you control and have a duty for you friggin moron.
But they have the staffing to keep pumping out these Visas right and left.
How about this. Devote some of the staff issuing Visas to actually enforcing those who overstay.
If 100K are allowed in per year, reduced it by one for each overstayer.
Or, just enforce the damn law!
I read an article a few years ago about some 60′s dope smoking hippies who had been busted back then, and have since grown older. The article was a whine-fest from all these hippies because they were taking vacations up in Canada. What they were finding was that they were barred from entering Canada because of their past pot bust.
This, according to the article, had always been the law, but was never enforced because of the lack of an instant check. After 911, border agents now have that ability, and Canada is enforcing that law.
I believe Mexico has similar laws.
The capability is there, but our federal government refuses to enforce compliance with the same laws our “good neighbors” apply to US citizens.
It really should not be that hard to enter a name in a database for entering illegally…and checking that database if at any time in the future that same illegal wanted to become a citizen.
I often wonder what country DHS is securing. It sure is not our country. Now I hear they have a paper out on amnesty.
The meaning of the word “pledge” is lost to our “Animal Farm” president.
His “Sunlight Before Signing” promise: broken repeatedly.
His “Earmark Reform” promise: broken repeatedly.
His “No jobs for lobbyists” promise: broken again and again.
All these and numerous other promises broken with disdain by a president who lies on a daily basis. So, who believes anything this guy says anymore?
With all the money we spend to imprison illegals from Mexico, why can’t we just buy or lease a prison in Mexico then contract Mexicans to run it?
A. It will cost us a lot less to imprison them to Mexican ‘standards’.
B. They go back to Mexican soil a lot quicker.
C. The ones that come here because life in a US prison is better than being free in Mexico – lose that incentive.
Excellent article, excellent research Michelle. We are living under the tyranny of a government not doing the bidding of the people that elected them. Failure to abide by the laws that codify human rights derived from God, that guarantee man unalienable rights to freedom and self- determination leads to tyranny. This is a tyranny no different than what we experienced under the rule of monarchs who we once fought a war with to be free. We are back where we were 240 years ago.
Samuel Adams said:
“Democracy never lasts long… it soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide.”
The Founding Fathers were indeed prescient geniuses.
You are absolutely right and I cannot figure out for the life of me why more people have not connected the dots.
The Rockefeller CFR/Trilateral Commission has virtually taken over our Federal Government in a silent coup d’état yet the average citizen does not know who they are. What really amazes me is that David Rockefeller has not be indicted and tried for treason after making this remark in his autobiography ‘Memoirs’:
“Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global, political and economic structure–one world, if you will. If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.”
Then there is this:
Mr. Rockefeller was speaking to the Bilderbergers back in 1991 when he said this, “We are grateful to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years.”
“It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.”
Based on these words, it is easy to see that not only does the CFR have plans for a One World Government headed by an ‘intellectual elite’, our own news media has kept it hidden from us for the last half-century.
I guess you can admit that you have been guilty of Sedition and Treason in writing and not be indicted today by anyone at the DOJ.
These world government idiots really expect nations to submit to a U.N. type control? I seriously doubt it. Too many despots, meglomanics and religious fanatics are in this world.
Absolutely. Name one country in all history who actually desired to give up their autonomy to submit to a larger power? It’s the exact opposite. A sovereign people will fight for their autonomy.
There is “path to citizenship” that these invaders have chosen to reject and subvert.
If one is found to have illegally entered this country, they should be deported and not allowed to even apply for citizenship for a period of time that should be very long.
Speaking of the topic of illegals, I had a bit of fun making this commercial:
Dale Peterson
Mentioned also by Robert Stacy McCain.
Hope everyone doing well here.
We have a deportation system?
Yes, but only if ICE is forced to use it. The taxpayer pays for the trip home, but they are usually back across the border before the paperwork is done.
The Most American Campaign Ad Evah
“Yes, but only if ICE is forced to use it.”
I find myself still asking the same question.
We have a deportation system?
They pulled off the EU and next on the block is the NAU or North American Union. That is why they are not enforcing our borders or immigration. Their plan is to combine Canada, Mexico and the USA into a EU type union.
If you think this is not happening right now, I suggest you read some of the articles at The August Review. Start with Obama: Trilateral Commission Endgame
Barry Soetoro is just a puppet of the CFR/Trilateral Commission and the end game is the NAU and a New World Order governed by an unelected elite at the UN.
Obama’s top foreign policy advisor has been Zbigniew Brzezinski, the co-founder of the Trilateral Commission with David Rockefeller.
He has already assured Mexico and Canada that he intends to continue with the NAFTA highway that will connect China’s COSCO shipping port in Mexico with the USA and Canada. Right after Texas Gov Rick Perry won the primaries, he started to implement the TTC corridor project again.