Speech #1090099064

Following the attacks of 2001. it is essential that we improve our ability to track and identify terrorists attempting to cross our borders. Chairman SENSENBRENNER and Chairman KING have drafted legislation to better detect terrorist infiltrators. and I applaud them for their hard work on this important issue. While most of the illegal immigrants who enter the United States do so for 51. Pt. 21 28741 the purposes of finding work and making a better life. there are also those that may take advantage of our porous borders to enter the country and take part in terrorist activities. In fact. recent reports have projected that as many as 4.000 immigrants from countries identified as high risk will be arrested trying to enter the country illegally this year. As we speak. terrorists are using alien smugglers and document forgers to help move people through Iran and Pakistan. and it is only a matter of time until terrorist organizations attempt to use these techniques to enter the United States. In 2004. the Border Patrol estimated that over 55.000 illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico crossed our borders during a 10month period. Of the illegal aliens from countries identified by the Secretary of State as sponsors of terrorism who have been ordered deported. only about 6 percent have actually been removed. and these are only the ones we know about. This legislation takes steps to enhance our border security procedures and improve our ability to identify and remove potential terrorists. As part of this effort. it is imperative that we closely monitor trends in the number of immigrants from noncontiguous nations. other than. obviously. Mexico and Canada. who enter our country illegally. After 2 years of this bills enactment. my amendment would provide essential oversight on the effectiveness of this system by requiring the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress on the number of illegal aliens from noncontiguous countries who are apprehended at or between ports of entry and the numbers of such aliens from countries identified by the State Department as sponsors of terrorism. My amendment would also encourage Homeland Security to develop a strategy for entering the appropriate background information of illegal aliens from countries sponsoring terrorism into appropriate security screening watch lists. With millions of illegal immigrants flooding over our vastly unsecured borders. there remains a huge vulnerability to terrorist attack. There is no doubt that al Qaeda and other terrorist groups will take advantage of any area that we fail to secure. Illegal aliens from countries known to sponsor international terrorism. In particular. should raise red flags. and Congress and the Department of Homeland Security need to closely monitor these trends. Mr.