Who Is Coming Across the Southern Border?

Of the 800,000 illegal aliens caught trying to sneak across the U.S.-Mexico border since October, more than 10 percent are from countries other than Mexico, posing serious national security issues.
"We're now concerned about the potential for terrorists coming across the border because of the huge increases in 'other than Mexicans,' people coming from abroad through Mexico, across our southern border," says Sen. John Kyl, R-Ariz. "Our country has intelligence that tells us that al-Qaida specifically desires to bring people across our border."

According to new Border Patrol numbers, a record 98,000 of these "other than Mexicans," or OTMs, have been apprehended in the last eight months. That's up 175 percent from this same time last year.

Is there a chance that some of those OTMs are terrorists, drug runners, violent gang members, those that are up to no good and willing to do harm to the U.S.? What happens to the 98,000 that are detected? They aren't hauled to jail, processed and sent back across the border. Seventy percent are released on their own recognizance because there aren't enough spaces in jails to hold them. Expected to return for their immigration hearings, most don't, and "Even those from countries on terror watch lists are released into the general population after a 180-day detention."

Migrants are well aware of glitches in U.S. law and the so-far unwillingness of the U.S. Government to take real action on the border. They keep coming and the U.S. Hispanic population is booming.

An unassimilated booming population of any immigrant group is worrisome. In the past American policy limited the numbers of immigrants giving populations time to learn English and to adopt American values. Today's immigrants are less willing to do so by refusing to learn English, demanding bi-lingual education for their children and other services, and by demanding that the United States maintain their culture.

Europe has experienced a rapid cultural change due to vast numbers of Muslim immigrants that poured in over a short period of time. In normal immigration experience, immigrants trickle in, assimilate and are often absorbed into the population. The same process occurred in early 20th century America. Today's immigrants are pouring in unchecked, bringing with them many cultural characteristics that are not compatible with American values. No indigenous culture can survive under this onslaught.

The Federal Government has an obligation to protect the American people. They are failing to do so.