US releasing non-Mexican illegal immigrants (moved from ATSNN)

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“When an illegal immigrant crosses the border, and is captured, you’d think we would hold them until they are deported,” said Ortiz. “Turns out that is not the case. DHS lacks the bed space to accommodate them, so they are releasing them into the communities along the border. While there are dozens of problems for border communities related to released migrants who seek asylum or just greater economic opportunity, it is now an urgent national security matter because law enforcement officers around South Texas have come to me to tell me of their fears that we are releasing - on their own recognizance - people who could be associated with al Queda who are then able to proceed legally to join cells already in the United States.”

“While the very least we can do now is close the barn door after the cows are out, it remains that this policy has the potential of continuing to endanger the very homeland security in which we all want, and need, to have confidence,” Ortiz said. “The first step is a sudden reversal of this policy, followed by tracking down those who have escaped justice by not returning for a scheduled hearing, then finally an analysis of the damage that may have been done to our national security since these releases have occurred.”

Ortiz and Bonilla told the President, DHS Secretary Ridge, Attorney General John Ashcroft (which oversees some of the matters related to immigration judges), and Secretary of State Colin Powell that they understood the systemic, complex nature of the problem. They asked each agency to work together to rapidly find solutions to this enormous national security concern.

The entire text of the letter follows:




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