Just poor workers looking for a better life, right?

[Sled21]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/border-patrol-people-terrorist-database-southern-border-2021-cbp-data

Quote:XCLUSIVE: Border Patrol apprehended at least 23 people coming across the southern border whose names are on the terror watchlist in 2021, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data obtained by Fox News.


Between Jan. 20 and Dec. 27, 2021, there were 23 encounters with individuals whose names matched on the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB).

Four were in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, 4 in Del Rio Sector, 3 in El Paso Sector, 2 in Tucson Sector, 2 in Yuma Sector, 4 in El Centro Sector and 4 in San Diego Sector. The information was provided to Fox News in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted in December.

The Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) contains information about the identities of those who are known or "reasonably suspected" of being involved in terrorist activities. Republicans lawmakers have repeatedly called for the number of those encountered at the border to be made public by the administration.

"Reporting indicates that multiple individuals with terrorist ties have been recently apprehended after illegally crossing the border, and that such encounters may be increasing," Reps. James Comer and John Katko, who serve as ranking members on the Oversight and Homeland Security committees respectively, wrote to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last month.

"The American people deserve to know whether President Biden’s weak border policies are allowing terrorists to enter our homeland," they said.

Former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the number of TSDBs coming across the border, telling fellow agents last year that it was "at a level we have never seen before."

"We have terrorist threats we can’t get into in this type of a forum but they are real," he told Fox News’ Bret Baier in October.


The Republicans on the committees have also requested documents showing the number of TSDB-linked migrants in each Fiscal Year from 2016 to present, as well as information about their countries of origin.

They also have requested any data estimating the number who have crossed the border but ultimately evaded Border Patrol.

Fox News reported earlier this month that over 62,000 illegal immigrants evaded Border Patrol agents in March, averaging about 2,000 a day.

The numbers come as the Biden administration is yet again facing sky-high border numbers that are overwhelming agents and resources. According to a filing by CBP last week, agents encountered more than 212,000 migrants at the border in March, higher than any month last year.

If they caught 23, how many made it without getting caught. 

[*michaelsean*]

That's always my main concern. I assume the people who have overstayed visas for example have been checked out so I'm not all that concerned about them.

[KillerGoose]

Illegal immigration is truthfully a non-partisan issue and won't be "solved" until the United States appetite for drugs has been addressed in some manner along with the governments of South American countries. Currently, the estimated illegal population in the U.S. is around 11.35 million. This has stayed pretty consistent over the last decade. DHS only has estimates until 2018, but in 2019 the illegal population was estimated at 11.18 million. I can't find an estimate for 2020, but January 2021, the estimate was at 10.22 million, so we have seen an 11% increase since that time. I'm curious how much of the surge was COVID related. Now, Biden is easier on the border in comparison to Trump, or at minimum appears to be. More data will be useful in assessing that, but regardless, the problem won't be fixed by a wall or tougher laws in my opinion. It will be an issue until the drug issue is resolved, if it ever is. 

Anecdote, but I personally know someone who immigrated here illegally. I speak English, Spanish and Italian. I learned these languages through a variety of avenues, but part of it was my travels throughout South America. In Colombia, I met a wide range of people and I kept in contact with many of them. One of the women I met had decided she wanted to move to the U.S. but didn't want to go through the process, so she bought a plane ticket and went to N.Y. and never went back. Last I heard, she was married to a U.S. citizen and had permanent residence. Just an interesting story to share, not a significant point or anything. 

EDIT - Also, to the point of the article, I am glad to see that these guys were busted. It is my understanding the arrest for aggravated felonies are up substantially, or were in 2021. Hopefully that trend continues.

[*Nately120*]

We americans don't want illegals, but we are big fans of illegal drugs, illegally underpaid and exploited workers, and who can resist the occasional "give me a happy ending or I'm calling ICE on this place" massage?

[CKwi88]

(04-18-2022, 03:19 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Illegal immigration is truthfully a non-partisan issue and won't be "solved" until the United States appetite for drugs has been addressed in some manner along with the governments of South American countries. Currently, the estimated illegal population in the U.S. is around 11.35 million. This has stayed pretty consistent over the last decade. DHS only has estimates until 2018, but in 2019 the illegal population was estimated at 11.18 million. I can't find an estimate for 2020, but January 2021, the estimate was at 10.22 million, so we have seen an 11% increase since that time. I'm curious how much of the surge was COVID related. Now, Biden is easier on the border in comparison to Trump, or at minimum appears to be. More data will be useful in assessing that, but regardless, the problem won't be fixed by a wall or tougher laws in my opinion. It will be an issue until the drug issue is resolved, if it ever is. 

Anecdote, but I personally know someone who immigrated here illegally. I speak English, Spanish and Italian. I learned these languages through a variety of avenues, but part of it was my travels throughout South America. In Colombia, I met a wide range of people and I kept in contact with many of them. One of the women I met had decided she wanted to move to the U.S. but didn't want to go through the process, so she bought a plane ticket and went to N.Y. and never went back. Last I heard, she was married to a U.S. citizen and had permanent residence. Just an interesting story to share, not a significant point or anything. 

EDIT - Also, to the point of the article, I am glad to see that these guys were busted. It is my understanding the arrest for aggravated felonies are up substantially, or were in 2021. Hopefully that trend continues.

Disclaimer that I might be biased as my livelihood (interpreter) benefits directly, in a way, from people coming here illegally.

From my experience the woman's story in your anecdote matches up with the majority of the people I've had interactions with. Most come legally and just stay. During the pandemic however, travel was restricted from Brazil so while some people flew to another country that wasn't restricted, waited two weeks, and then came, there was a huge uptick in border crossings. Some of the stories were quite a ride, learning about the process of hiring the coyotes and the treatment during the trip to get here. So while the easy (read: lazy) answer is "Well they should just wait their turn", the reality is that people won't. Many of these immigrants are fleeing hardship that is difficult for the average American to understand. The "hardship" in the US just doesn't translate to the hardship of a Nicaragua, Guatemala and such. So they're going to keep coming. Putting up walls or enacting tougher laws will just put more money into the cartels and the coyotes, it's not going to make these immigrants any less desperate. 

The border crisis has become such a monster, and it is going to need not only comprehensive reform of our immigration system but our foreign policy with our neighbors to the south. The blame the US bears for the situation in those countries is often just glossed over. 

[KillerGoose]

(04-18-2022, 05:35 PM)CKwi88 Wrote: Disclaimer that I might be biased as my livelihood (interpreter) benefits directly, in a way, from people coming here illegally.

From my experience the woman's story in your anecdote matches up with the majority of the people I've had interactions with. Most come legally and just stay. During the pandemic however, travel was restricted from Brazil so while some people flew to another country that wasn't restricted, waited two weeks, and then came, there was a huge uptick in border crossings. Some of the stories were quite a ride, learning about the process of hiring the coyotes and the treatment during the trip to get here. So while the easy (read: lazy) answer is "Well they should just wait their turn", the reality is that people won't. Many of these immigrants are fleeing hardship that is difficult for the average American to understand. The "hardship" in the US just doesn't translate to the hardship of a Nicaragua, Guatemala and such. So they're going to keep coming. Putting up walls or enacting tougher laws will just put more money into the cartels and the coyotes, it's not going to make these immigrants any less desperate. 

The border crisis has become such a monster, and it is going to need not only comprehensive reform of our immigration system but our foreign policy with our neighbors to the south. The blame the US bears for the situation in those countries is often just glossed over. 

I've argued the same exact point. Building a wall won't matter much - cartels will find a way through, and they will jack up their prices for getting you through. It just ends up funneling more money to illegal organizations because there is such a massive market for it. I am probably biased as well, I have loved every latino/hispanic country I have visited. I have also witnessed heartbreaking hardship that is tough to find here in the U.S. (not impossible, however. Skid Row is a terribly sad place.) Sometimes, it isn't the financial hardship driving them here, but being in a literal warzone (I.E. cartel hotspots in Mexico or gang infested areas of El Salvador). Trying to raise a family, dirt poor, working your ass off and witnessing headless bodies hanging from the overpass as you head into work in the morning. Having your son kidnapped right from your house and forced into cartel work.  

Some of the areas of Colombia that I traveled through were tough, but the people were always friendly. The more that I think of it, I know a few people who have done this. Another person flew into Miami and never left. AFAIK she is still there, illegally. I also know a woman in Mexico who has desperately been wanting to come here because she is in a drug war hotspot. I can't say that I fault them. All in all, I agree with your final point. The situation won't get better until those countries improve and the U.S. has had their hands in making them what they are as well as providing the illegal market that fuels their crime. 

[BigPapaKain]

Legalize all drugs and strip the cartels of their power.

[*Nately120*]

(04-18-2022, 09:44 PM)BigPapaKain Wrote: Legalize all drugs and strip the cartels of their power.

On a semi-related note, my wife had some family around recently and her aunt and uncle were complaining about "those people from the cities who move to our town and bring crime."  Of course, she and her husband and their kids all had histories buying and using drugs, but I didn't point out that if it weren't for people like them "those people" wouldn't have a reason to move to "your town" and "bring crime."

You reap what you sow, folks. I guess it's just easier to play your role in cultivating a criminal atmosphere and then point your finger at someone a thousand miles away in DC rather than own up to your own crap.

Just another case of people having no restraint and begging the government to step up and prevent them from doin' bad.

[CarolinaBengalFanGuy]

(04-18-2022, 03:33 PM)Nately120 Wrote: We americans don't want illegals, but we are big fans of illegal drugs, illegally underpaid and exploited workers, and who can resist the occasional "give me a happy ending or I'm calling ICE on this place" massage?

There's Spanish versions of those parlors?

[Belsnickel]

(04-19-2022, 12:08 AM)CarolinaBengalFanGuy Wrote: There's Spanish versions of those parlors?

You think illegal immigrants only come from Latin America? There are a lot of Asian businesses that hire illegal immigrants (or they traffic them in).

[Belsnickel]

It's amazing the mental gymnastics that right wing media puts their viewers through.

[Sled21]

(04-19-2022, 07:09 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: It's amazing the mental gymnastics that right wing media puts their viewers through.

Ah, In wondered how long it would take for the source to be attacked. When you don't like the message, attach the source. Bottom line, illegal workers and drugs aside, there's a whole lot of people coming across that border right now who are on terror watch lists, and with nefarious intentions. It's only a matter of time until this bites us big time. 

[Belsnickel]

(04-19-2022, 08:35 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Ah, In wondered how long it would take for the source to be attacked. When you don't like the message, attach the source. Bottom line, illegal workers and drugs aside, there's a whole lot of people coming across that border right now who are on terror watch lists, and with nefarious intentions. It's only a matter of time until this bites us big time. 

I'm actually not disputing that. My commentary is more about the idea that the Democratic party, or even most on the left, want "open borders." That is, after all, what your whole thing is predicated on.

[*michaelsean*]

(04-18-2022, 09:44 PM)BigPapaKain Wrote: Legalize all drugs and strip the cartels of their power.

I always wonder, does that mean there would be no such thing as prescriptions anymore?  I mean it would be weird to have heroin and meth stores, but you gotta have a prescription for Lipitor.

[*Nately120*]

(04-19-2022, 10:15 AM)michaelsean Wrote: I always wonder, does that mean there would be no such thing as prescriptions anymore?  I mean it would be weird to have heroin and meth stores, but you gotta have a prescription for Lipitor.

Who needs physician written prescriptions these days with the internet and all?  We have it all figured out. 

[basballguy]

(04-18-2022, 10:21 PM)Nately120 Wrote: On a semi-related note, my wife had some family around recently and her aunt and uncle were complaining about "those people from the cities who move to our town and bring crime."  Of course, she and her husband and their kids all had histories buying and using drugs, but I didn't point out that if it weren't for people like them "those people" wouldn't have a reason to move to "your town" and "bring crime."

You reap what you sow, folks. I guess it's just easier to play your role in cultivating a criminal atmosphere and then point your finger at someone a thousand miles away in DC rather than own up to your own crap.

Just another case of people having no restraint and begging the government to step up and prevent them from doin' bad.

I am willing to argue it’s much easier to find a dealer from the suburbs than it is the hood

[StoneTheCrow]

(04-19-2022, 12:08 AM)CarolinaBengalFanGuy Wrote: There's Spanish versions of those parlors?

Also interested in this information…for research purposes of course.

[CJD]

I agree that illegal immigration is a problem. We're making it way too hard to enter this country legally, which is leading well meaning immigrants who do want a better life for themselves to criminalize themselves to enter the country. If the pathway to residency and worker status were loosened, the number of illegal crossings would go down significantly, which would allow our border agents more time to deal with nefarious illegal immigrants like the 23 mentioned in this story. Separate the chaff from the wheat, so to speak.

[basballguy]

(04-19-2022, 02:09 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: I agree that illegal immigration is a problem. We're making it way too hard to enter this country legally, which is leading well meaning immigrants who do want a better life for themselves to criminalize themselves to enter the country. If the pathway to residency and worker status were loosened, the number of illegal crossings would go down significantly, which would allow our border agents more time to deal with nefarious illegal immigrants like the 23 mentioned in this story. Separate the chaff from the wheat, so to speak.

How is the US making it hard for immigrants to come here?  

The US has the largest immigration population in the world.  That doesn't seem reflective of a country that makes it hard for immigration.  It's also not like this population is dropping.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/08/20/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/

I don't follow immigration laws too closely so I could just be out of the loop. 

[CJD]

(04-19-2022, 02:23 PM)basballguy Wrote: How is the US making it hard for immigrants to come here?  

The US has the largest immigration population in the world.  That doesn't seem reflective of a country that makes it hard for immigration.  It's also not like this population is dropping.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/08/20/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/

I don't follow immigration laws too closely so I could just be out of the loop. 

Do you think thousands of people would willingly become criminals in the US (via illegal immigration) if it were easy and reasonable to become a legal resident?

Without spending a lot of time digging through Google, I happen to have some anecdotal evidence in this regard. My wife and her family are from a small country in Southern Africa. They came to America when my wife was 11 months old on student visas. They went to school, applied for a work visas, were approved, got jobs and applied for permanent residency. They were granted permanent residency.

The problem is, this process took 21 years (they applied for everything as soon as it was legally available. Things were just held up in court for years at a time). They applied for permanent residency as a family, but by the time they were in front of a judge, my wife was 22 years old. The judge decided that she was no longer under her parents' care (despite living with them) and saw no benefit to her parents for her to stay in America, so they ordered her deportation back to a country that she had not lived in since she was an infant. Her family (mother, father and little sister) would remain in America, but she would have to leave to a country with no support structure or family that she has ever met before.

Luckily, we were able to get her deportation commuted (because it was an absurd ruling) and, eventually, canceled when we got married. Even then, that took us over 3 years to open her file, transfer it, approve it and close it.

This has cost her family (and us) thousands, if not maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years. They did everything by the book and it still almost tore their family apart because of one judge who had an axe to grind for some reason.

They happen to know some other immigrants from other African countries who came illegally (through which means I have no idea) who made fun of them for "doing it the right way" because they were able to get jobs under the table and were making as much money as my wife's family without having to spend thousands on immigration lawyers. 

I think that whole system should be reformed to allow for clearly well meaning and hard working immigrants to make it through the system in less than 21 years and thousands upon thousands of dollars.

Otherwise, it will just cause people to be "illegal immigrants" because it's much easier, as with these family acquaintances were.

Anecdotal evidence is not definitive proof of anything, but just thought I'd share.