John. The shear number of individuals who are able to infiltrate the island is indicia of vulnerability to a possible terrorist attack. The lack of a Border Patrol Security Unit. has placed an unreasonable burden on other Federal agencies such as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE. which has to now spend considerable amount of manhours apprehending. processing and detaining aliens in custody. This detracts from the time ICE would have to carryout its investigatory duties. Just last month. there was an article published in the Economist Magazine describing the U.S. V.I as "Americas most vulnerable point. a lovely place" but "woefully unprepared for a terrorist attack." The article points out that "illegal aliens land in the Virgin Islands openly and regularly. yet they are rarely caught." Having a Border Patrol unit in the Virgin Islands. Mr. Speaker. will not only greatly enhance the security of the Virgin Islands. but the entire Nation as well.
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illegal aliens Border Patrol Immigration