Posted on May 18th, 2013 with no comments [click here to be the first commenter] »
Hi Gang:
Here we go again!
Once again we have an apparent failure of the immigration system- not to secure the U.S./Mexican border but to prevent the entry of a terrorist into the United States who could be referred to as a “Wolf in sheep’s clothing” through the legal system.
While the U.S./Mexican border must be made secure, so too must the other components of the immigration system. It only takes one hole in the bottom of a boat to cause the boat to wind up at the bottom of the lake. The failure to secure the Southwest Border of the United Stats is certainly a huge hole- but it is only one of many.
Immigration benefit fraud represents at least as big a hole in the bottom of the boat as does the failures at borders security but the administration, the “Eight Gangsters” and other proponents for Comprehensive Immigration Reform not only do not want to plug that hole- they don’t want to discuss it!
On April 28, 2013 Californians for Population Stabilization posted my commentary:
In my commentary I focused on the lack of integrity to the Immigration benefits program.
On Thursday, May 16, 2013, just over one month after the Tsarnaev brothers launched a vicious terrorist attack on runners at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, Fazliddin Kurbanov was arrested by the FBI and charged with terrorism.
On May 17, 2013 the Huntington Post published a news report:
Fazliddin Kurbanov, Idaho Man Accused Of Terrorism, Heads To Court
Here is how the news report begins:
BOISE, Idaho — He was a Russian-speaking truck driver who came to Idaho nearly four years ago to join hundreds of other Uzbekistan refugees for whom the state has become a sanctuary from violence in their home country.
But federal officials say in an indictment that Fazliddin Kurbanov also was teaching people to build bombs that would target public transportation.
While the article says that Kurbanov joined other refugees from Uzbekistan in Idaho, the government was initially vague about precisely how he entered the United States or what is current immigration status is, other than to state that he is “legally present.”
The article went on to note:
Kurbanov is among about 650 Uzbeks living in Idaho. He was admitted to the U.S. as a refugee in August 2009, the same month he moved to Boise, said Jan Reeves, director of the Idaho Office for Refugees, citing immigration records. Kurbanov was here legally, federal officials said.
Here is how his alleged terrorist activities were described in the Huffington Post article:
The Idaho indictment charges Kurbanov with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and one count of conspiracy to give material support to terrorists and possession of an unregistered explosive device.
It alleges that between August and May, he knowingly conspired with others to provide resources, including computer software and money, to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which the U.S. has identified as a terrorist organization. The group’s purpose is to overthrow the government of Uzbekistan, said David B. Barlow, U.S. attorney in Utah. The alleged co-conspirators were not named.
The indictment also alleges Kurbanov provided material support to terrorists, knowing it was to be used in preparation for a plot involving the use of a weapon of mass destruction.
The article also noted that it had not as yet, been determined if Kurbanov had any intentions of carrying out any attacks inside the United States.
Furthermore, he was also reportedly indicted in Utah for other alleged terrorist-related activities including providing information to others as to how to make explosive devices and weapons of mass destruction.
It is not usually considered to be a major issue to say that an alien was granted refugee status or granted political asylum. But perhaps the prosecutors have a reason to be as vague as possible.
While the possibility exists that the prosecutors wanted to make certain that they did not provide inaccurate information, the fact that they did not state that the defendant was an immigrant and the status would be reported on, the information initially provided was simply that the defendant was “legally present.”
If this was done intentionally, there would be a good reason to dance around so basic and easily determined fact.
Congress is currently debating Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The “Eight Gangsters” are insistent that the only issue that should be considered in debating this ill-conceived legislation is the matter of the security of the U.S./Mexican border. That border leaks like the veritable sieve but by having a cynical debate about border security they have drawn attention away from the system that would be required to process the millions- indeed, likely tens of millions of applications for amnesty filed by undocumented aliens who cannot provide authentic and reliable documentation to attest to their true identities, countries of citizenship, backgrounds, affiliations, intentions and where, when and how they entered the United States.
The last thing the administration and other proponents for Comprehensive Immigration Reform want is to have yet another example of incompetence in the immigration benefits program. Yet is is precisely what is apparently developing in this case.
The fact that yet another refugee has been accused of being a terrorist would, once again draw attention to how screwed up the legal side of the immigration system is- the very same component of the DHS that would be required to process application filed by aliens seeking to participate in that program. likely tens of millions of applications that would be filed by undocumented aliens who would participate in Comprehensive Immigration Reform if our “leaders” in Washington are that foolish and incompetent or worse, to pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
Going back to the Boston bombing, we need to remember that the Tsarnaev family was apparently granted political asylum. In order to be eligible for political asylum and/or refugee status, an alien must articulate “Credible fear” that if he (she) was returned to his native country that he would face persecution because of his race, religion, ethnicity or political beliefs. Credible fear means that because of persecution his well being and possibly his life, itself, would be in grave jeopardy if he returned home.
According to published reports, shortly after being granted political asylum the Tsarnaev family returned to Russia. This certainly calls into question the truthfulness of statements that they would have had to make to establish credible fear in order to be granted political asylum.
In the days that followed it was determined that foreign students who had allegedly destroyed evidence intrinsically relevant to the terrorsim case were identified as having stopped being students in the United States, yet they were able to not only remain in the United States but at least one of these foreign students left the United States and was re-admitted even though he had terminated his studies and should not have been permitted to enter the United States as a student.
On May 2, 2013 I was interviewed by Megyn Kelly at Fox News to discuss these aspects of the Boston terror case:
Michael Cutler, former special agent for INS, joined Megyn Kelly this afternoon to discuss what he believes is a failing system regarding immigrants and the student visa program. He believes the case of Azamat Tazhayakov, arrested for allegedly helping Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev by disposing of possible evidence, illustrates this point.
Cutler said there is a database that is supposed to be updated so that in this case, officials at the airport could have seen that Tazhayakov’s visa had been revoked.
“The system failed. The system keeps on failing,” said Cutler, pointing out that so much of the immigration debate is focused on the Mexican border and people have no idea how many other aspects of the program are not working.
“We have a bunch of holes in the bottom of our boat. They’re not plugging any of them and this one involves national security because we know that terrorists in the past have gamed the visa process.”
Check out the full interview to hear all of Cutler’s insights on the immigration system.
I am a strong proponent of providing political asylum to aliens who truly have a “credible fear.” When I was an Immigration Inspector some 40 years ago, it gave me great satisfaction to admit refugees into the United States. My own grandmother died in the Holocaust because we are Jews. I was named for my grandmother.
However, it must be recognized that a number of terrorists have used immigration benefit fraud, including fraud committed on applications for political asylum to enter the United States and embed themselves in the United States.
While attention is being intentionally drawn to the U.S./Mexican border by the “Eight Gangsters” and other proponents for Comprehensive Immigration Reform attention is purposely being drawn away from the myriad other abysmal failures of the immigration system.
The lack of integrity in the adjudications process was the focus of clear concerns of the 9/11 Commission, and the 9/11 Commission staff noted it in their report, 9/11 AND TERRORIST TRAVEL: Staff Report of the National Commission onTerrorist Attacks Upon the United States.
This paragraph is found on page 98 under the title “Immigration Benefits:”
“Terrorists in the 1990s, as well as the September 11 hijackers, needed to find a way to stay in or embed themselves in the United States if their operational plans were to come to fruition. As already discussed, this could be accomplished legally by marrying an American citizen, achieving temporary worker status, or applying for asylum after entering. In many cases, the act of filing for an immigration benefit sufficed to permit the alien to remain in the country until the petition was adjudicated. Terrorists were free to conduct surveillance, coordinate operations, obtain and receive funding, go to school and learn English, make contacts in the United States, acquire necessary materials, and execute an attack.”
Page 47 of the above-noted report contained the following paragraph:
“Once terrorists had entered the United States, their next challenge was to find a way to remain here. Their primary method was immigration fraud. For example, Yousef and Ajaj concocted bogus political asylum stories when they arrived in the United States. Mahmoud Abouhalima, involved in both the World Trade Center and landmarks plots, received temporary residence under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers (SAW) program, after falsely claiming that he picked beans in Florida. Mohammed Salameh, who rented the truck used in the bombing, overstayed his tourist visa. He then applied for permanent residency under the agricultural workers program, but was rejected. Eyad Mahmoud Ismail, who drove the van containing the bomb, took English-language classes at Wichita State University in Kansas on a student visa; after he dropped out, he remained in the United States out of status.”
Immigration is not a single issue but a singular issue that impacts nearly every challenge and threat confronting the United States today!
Our armed forces are charged with securing America’s borders externally while the DHS is supposed to secure those same borders from within. The failures of the DHS to live up to its half of the equation are undermining the efforts, valor and incredible sacrifices of Americas men and women who serve in our military!The immigration laws are supposed to achieve two primary goals- to protect American lives and protect Americans’ jobs.
Our nation is greatly benefited by the rich diversity of our people which is why I could never imagine living anywhere except New York City, arguably the most diverse city in our nation if not, in fact, the world. However, my idea of diversity most certainly does not include members of MS-13, the Mexican drug cartels or members of other transnational gangs or members of al-Qaeda or other terrorist organizations!
It is also vital that American workers never be made to compete with foreign workers for their jobs! (This requirement is a component of the Immigration Laws that are not being enforced today!)
If our government’s failures to secure our nation’s borders and effectively enforce our immigration laws that are intended to protect our nation and our citizens concerns you or especially if it angers you, I ask you to call your Senators and Congressional “Representative. This is not only your right- it is your obligation!
I also ask that you pass this e-mail along to your friends and neighbors- I am attempting to create a “Bucket Brigade of Truth!”
We the People must make it clear to our politicians that we are not as dumb as they hope we are!
We live in a perilous world and in a perilous era. The survival of our nation and the lives of our citizens hang in the balance.
This is neither a Conservative issue, nor is it a Liberal issue- simply stated, this is most certainly an AMERICAN issue!
You are either part of the solution or you are a part of the problem!
Democracy is not a spectator sport!
Lead, follow or get out of the way!
-michael cutler-
Please check out my website:
http://michaelcutler.net/
Also please check out my website at AND Magazine:
On Friday evenings from 7:00 PM until 8:00 PM Eastern Time, I host my show, “The Michael Cutler Hour” on the USA Talk Radio Network on Blog Talk Radio.
Call in and join the conversation! The phone number is 310-982-4145
I hope you will be listening! (Please tell your friends and neighbors!)
Here is a link to the program:
