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May 8, 2008

Exclusive: Illegal Aliens and Driver's Licenses: A Terrorist Connection?

Michael Cutler

Following up on a recent op-ed I wrote on the subject, we find that yes, illegal aliens who were recently arrested in New Mexico for trying to procure driver's licenses by using fraudulent documents were indeed from so-called "special interest countries" (countries linked to terrorism). We also learn that the illegal aliens who took advantage of the fraudulent document scam (also run by illegal aliens) came from...New Jersey!

Think about it: illegal aliens traveled across the United States to get to New Jersey, then crossed it again to obtain fraudulent licenses.Thanks to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson,the DMV in New Mexico does not take immigration status into account when issuing licenses.A quote from the film A Field of Dreamsis most appropriate here: "If you build it, they will come."

Another stand-out issue is that the FBI was involved in this case and the aliens were identified as being from "special interest countries" and, if you want more shock value, one of the leaders of the fraudulent document ring is a citizen of Brazil. What's the big deal about Brazil? There have been numerous reports about terrorist training camps operating in the"Tri-border" region of Brazil, training terrorists from the Middle East.Sure, I'm simply speculating here, and this man could have nothing to do with terrorist training. However, the factors I've mentioned make it reasonable toconsider such possibilities. Were the arrested illegal aliens from Brazil natives of that country? Were they naturalized Brazilian citizens? Or were they simply able to "acquire" Brazilian passports? If indeed they were not native Brazilians, were they from "special interest countries?"

The ringleaders of this organization were savvy, using computers and (presumably) desk-top publishing to crank out phony documents to support false claims to United States citizenship. This is how fraud rings would likely attempt to assist illegal aliens to obtain amnesty should the Senate or Congress push for such an amnesty program after the upcoming elections.

There has been talk in certain circles of brining illegal aliens "out of the shadows" by "documenting" them. However, if the aliens in question are concealing their immigration status, it makes sense that many would also attempt to conceal their true names in applying for driver's licenses - especially if they have criminal histories or if their true names might appear on terrorist watch lists. Remember, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 used a number of false names and variations on those names, acquiring driver's licenses to act as "breeder" documents, enabling them to create entirely fictitious identities - based on fraudulent driver's licenses.

In this day and age, a driver's license does far more than convey the authority of the bearer to operate a motor vehicle; it also acts as a de facto national identity document. These concerns resulted in the passage of the Patriot Act, and demonstrate why all 50 states should make a concerted effort to tighten regulations surrounding the issuance of driver's licenses, doing all that they can to make sure they do not fall into illegal alien hands.

The dedicated employees of the DMV in New Mexico are to be commended for their alertness and proficiency.The good guys certainly won this round.But some questions remain:How did those aliens who were apprehended during this investigation enter the U.S. to begin with?Did other"special interest" aliens avail themselves of the "services" of this fraud ring? If so, how many and where are they now?How many more such rings are operating - not only in New Mexico but in other states that provide driver's licenses to aliens irrespective of their immigration status?

On a final note, both AP articles made the editorial decision to refer to the illegal aliens as "illegal immigrants."

If there is to be an honest discourse about immigration, the language we use must be legally accurate and factually honest. The legal definition of an alien, as defined by the Immigration and NationalityAct, is any person who is not a citizen or national of the United States.When we, as Americans, travel to other countries, we aregenerally referred to by the governments of those other countries as aliens.I am unaware of any other country that has a problem with this term.It is not a pejorative term, but an accurate one. Thus, anyone here illegally is an illegal alien.

In the game of "hide and seek" where ICE special agents are concerned, the illegal aliens often succeed in hiding (in plain sight among us) because there are far too few special agents available to seek them out. This represents a threat to our nation's security and it is critical that this issue be addressed. Yet more than six years after the attacks of 9/11 this area remains a huge vulnerability is still not being addressed. None of the three candidates for the presidency are even discussing this issue and all of its ramifications on so many aspects of our nation, beginning with national security and, ultimately, important issues likecriminal justice, the economy, the environment, health care and education.

Illegal immigration and its effects that ripple through our countryis not a Republican issue or aDemocrat issue: it is an American issue!

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