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October 18, 2005

Border Security: Even the Gray Lady Gets It

Could the New York Times be more sensible than the Bush Administration when it comes to border security? If they still feel like this on the issue, the answer is yes:

Getting terrorists into the United States is a vital step in most of the worst terrorist scenarios. We now know that Al Qaeda has travel facilitators, who are experts at exploiting the weak points in our border security. The federal government needs to act quickly and forcefully to make their jobs harder, and the nation safer.

The solution? This editorial offered five, all of which sound downright sensible:

1. More Resources at the Borders — A growing number of non-Mexicans are crossing over the Mexican border. And suspected terrorists have long been entering the country from Canada. More guards need to be put in place, and there should be more use of fences and ground sensors to detect movement.
2. Better Means of Tracking People Who Overstay Their Visas — One of the biggest sources of illegal immigration is people who enter the country legally but decide not to leave. The Department of Homeland Security must push to complete work on the U.S.-Visit system so that the government can identify people whose visas have expired.
3. Better Information for Front-Line Immigration Officials — Stolen and lost passports are a major terrorist tool, and not enough is being done to detect them. There needs to be a greater international effort to centralize data about lost and stolen passports, and the data needs to be made available on computers so front-line immigration officials can consult it before admitting a visitor.
4. Shorter Lengths of Stay for Visa Holders — Most of the Sept. 11 hijackers were admitted as tourists and given automatic six-month stays, far longer than the typical vacation. Lengths of stay should be more precisely tailored to the needs of individual visitors — tourism, study or visiting relatives. This may require more resources, but it is worth it to ensure that terrorists are not guaranteed a half-year to prepare an attack.
5. Tougher State ID Requirements — The Sept. 11 hijackers obtained 13 driver's licenses. The rules need to be re-evaluated, so non-citizens cannot get such high-quality identification. This is a complicated issue. Congress needs to find an answer that would not violate civil liberties as some national ID programs would, and also gives undocumented residents access to some kind of driver's license for safety and insurance reasons.

They slip a bit at the end there. Undocumented residents are in this country illegally — they're not entitled to even be here, much less to be driving cars. But otherwise the Times was on the mark with this.

The warning signs can be found everywhere, even at the liberal core of the MSM. If only more people in authority would stop pandering for ethnic votes long enough to notice them.

Hat tip: Byron

Posted by Van Helsing at October 18, 2005 7:50 AM