Kennedy Asserts Immigration Reform Key to National Security

Senator Ted Kennedy tells business leaders in Boston that failure to pass an immigration bill in Congress would impact national security, asserting that the illegal immigrants would be forced into isolation if stalled legislation fails, and this isolation could create a breeding ground for subversive homegrown terrorists.^[1]

Kennedy is a leading proponent of legislation to grant millions of illegal immigrants lawful status. He says alienation and immigration problems in European nations have led to terrorist acts, citing the 2005 bombings in London, which killed 52 people and four bombers.^[2] The acts were carried out by British Muslims who became involved in terror while at home in England.^[3]

The legislation backed by Kennedy, along with President Bush, would also tighten border security and create new measures for weeding illegal workers off of job sites; however the measure has stalled in Congress amid conservative criticism that it gives lawbreakers a reprieve from justice.[4] Kennedy however went on to cite the more recent alleged plan to attack Fort Dix in New Jersey.^[5] The suspects, who have no direct connection to al-Qaida, are a group of young Muslim men arrested who were arrested in May.^[6] They allegedly sent a videotape to a local store to be copied, prompting the clerk to tip off authorities.^[7]

Kennedy's allegations , however, are not backed up by the facts, since the number of terror charges filed by the government in deportation proceeding are shockingly low. We have blogged previously about the alleged Terror/Immigration link, here.

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^[1] Ken Maguire, Kennedy says immigration reform critical to national security, Associated Pres Newswire, June 18, 2007, available at LEXIS, News Library, Wire News Services File.
^[2] Id.
^[3] Id.
^[4] Id.
^[5] Id.
^[6] Id.
^[7] Id.