Immigration Law: It's Not Just About Mexico

We're reminded of the deadly side of immigration-law violations by the CounterTerrorism folks.

Within the past week or so, we have learned (or re-learned) the following:]

• al-Qaeda is recruiting western/European Muslim radicals who can easily enter Europe and the US, including those who can utilize the US Visa Waiver Program with European passports;

• the GAO has found serious security concerns with the US “Diversity Visa” Program - finding it ripe for exploitation by those utilizing false or fraudulently procured identity documents, particularly in terrorist producing countries;

• a US Marine Captain born in Lebanon, who had served in Iraq, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit naturalization and passport fraud and is linked to a similar Lebanese fraud/felon ex-FBI agent and CIA officer, both of whom are associated with a Hezbollah-linked fugitive restaurateur from Detroit wanted for tax and immigration fraud;

• an unknown but significant number of Iraqi military and law enforcement officials who were brought into the US for training deserted that training once in the US and have either claimed political asylum or are completely missing.

What do all these have in common? As often reported in the CTB, these matters reflect upon the close linkage of US national security and immigration issues. A beating victim smacked repeatedly in the head with a baseball bat will soon succumb to the attack, especially if it is a large bat. This combination of immigration law violations and security threats equals a very big bat. Any guess who might be the victims?

Meantime, Congress fiddles.