This is followup article to my two previous articles for FrontPage Magazine about the mayhem on America’s Southwest Border that is supposed to separate the Untied States from Mexico.
The stories continue to mount about how a human tidal wave of illegal aliens are arriving daily from Central America encouraged by the clear message being sent by the president and members of both political parties, that since we “cannot deport 11 million illegal aliens” we may as well place them on a path to lawful status or maybe even United States citizenship.
We are constantly told that we need to be compassionate to illegal aliens. Indeed, many of these folks are in a desperate situation- however, today it is estimated that one in five American children live below the poverty line. Should not compassion apply to American workers and their struggling families?
To put it bluntly, why on earth would our nation’s “leaders” be willing to ignore the national security component of border security and immigration law enforcement? Are they that corrupt, morally bankrupt or that stupid? No matter the reasons- any politician who does not “get it” needs to be voted out of office irrespective of their party affiliations or any other relatively meaningless factors!
The 9/11 Commission Report addressed the importance of the immigration inspections process conducted at ports of entry noting:
Inspectors at the ports of entry were not asked to focus on terrorists. Inspectors told us they were not even aware that when they checked the names of incoming passengers against the automated watchlist, they were checking in part for terrorists. In general, border inspectors also did not have the informa-tion they needed to make fact-based determinations of admissibility.The INS initiated but failed to bring to completion two efforts that would have provided inspectors with information relevant to counterterrorism—a proposed system to track foreign student visa compliance and a program to establish a way of tracking travelers’ entry to and exit from the United States.45
It is perhaps obvious to state that terrorists cannot plan and carry out attacks in the United States if they are unable to enter the country. Yet prior to September 11, while there were efforts to enhance border security, no agency of the U.S. government thought of border security as a tool in the counterterrorism arsenal. Indeed, even after 19 hijackers demonstrated the relative ease of obtaining a U.S. visa and gaining admission into the United States, border security still is not considered a cornerstone of national security policy. We believe, for reasons we discuss in the following pages, that it must be made one.
That report noted, under the title “Immigration Benefits” (page 98) the following:
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 sta- tus, 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.
Please forward this e-mail to as many folks as you can, I am attempting to create a “Bucket Brigade of Truth!”
On June 25, 2014 the House Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing into this ongoing onslaught of illegal aliens along America’s southwest border and gave the title of that hearing a name that was quite similar to the title of my earlier article:
The members of Congress were largely divided along party lines with the Democrats playing defense and the Republicans playing offense.
In my judgement, the administration has a lot to answer for, but I cannot give the Republicans a free pass, either. Every time a member of Congress or some other government official makes the statement that we cannot deport 11 million illegal aliens, desperate aspiring illegal aliens from around the world see encouragement that if they can only get to the United States it will be easy to hide in plain sight and ultimately acquire lawful status.
International terrorists and transnational criminals pay very careful attention to those statements as well and find, in them, the opportunity to enter the United States for their pernicious purposes.
Meanwhile the beleaguered Border Patrol agents are getting hammered every day working for a critical federal agency that is overwhelmed on a daily basis and is getting conflicting signals from the administration but with the loudest message being, don’t enforce the laws! Those agents and the agents of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) understand just how critically important our borders and our immigration laws are to national security, public safety and a host of other issues, yet they are stymied every day they go on duty.
The disaster on the border is impacting America and Americans from coast to coast and border to border as drugs, criminal aliens and potentially terrorists enter the United States each and every day.
The importance of our borders and our immigration laws cannot be overemphasized. In the war on terror and transnational gangs, they are our first line of defense and our last line of defense. They are equally important to American workers who are facing unfair competition from foreign workers, aided and abetted by the administration and advocates for “Sanctuary Cities” and Comprehensive Immigration Reform,
On June 13, 2013 I was interviewed by Neil Cavuto at Fox News on the topic:
The interview ran about 4 minutes and is worth watching.
On April 4, 2014, CAPS (Californians for Population Stabilization) posted my commentary that asks the questions all Americans need to ask their political “representatives.” My commentary is aptly titled:
“How? Why?”
In his historic speech before the 3rd Army on May 31, 1944, General George S. Patton said, on the strategy of holding a position:
“We’re not holding anything, we’ll let the Hun do that. We are advancing constantly, and we’re not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy.”
Pushing back against Comprehensive Immigration Reform is the same as holding position. The time has come for us to advance by demanding that our borders be made truly secure and our immigration laws be effectively administered and enforced.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform violates all of the findings and recommendations of the 9/11 Commission but no one is willing to even consider how the lack of real border security and the lack of real integrity to the various components of the immigration system imperil national security and public safety.
The findings and recommendations of the 9/11 Commission must be the starting point for any discussion about immigration legislation. That commission determined that a lack of border security, including the visa process. and fraud in the immigration benefits program, enabled terrorists to enter and embed themselves in the United States, as they went about their deadly preparations.
Immigration is not a single issue but a singular issue that impacts nearly every challenge and threat confronting the United States today! Simply stated, the immigration laws were enacted to save lives and protect the jobs of American workers. In point of fact, our borders and our immigration laws are America’s first line of defense and last line of defense against international terrorists and transnational criminals.
It is not “Anti-Immigrant” to be “Pro-American!”
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!
If our government’s failures to protect American jobs by securing our nation’s borders and effectively enforcing our immigration laws 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!
All I ask is that you 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!
Kevin Martin is a member of the National Advisory Council of the Project 21 black leadership network. An environmental contractor in the Washington-Baltimore area and a long-time public policy commentator, Kevin frequently appears on the Fox News Channel and typically is interviewed by radio talk shows over 70 times each year on behalf of Project 21. 
