CENTRAL VIEW for Monday, May 10, 2010

Immigration: Law of Unintended Incompetence

On May 1, 2010, Mr. Faisal Shahzad, who emigrated from Pakistan to become a naturalized U.S. citizen (great job, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service), parked a politically- and environmentally-incorrect, gas-guzzling SUV in New York’s Times Square. That was his first mistake. If he had parked a politically- and environmentally-correct hybrid no one might have noticed, even when it caught on fire. Fortunately, t-shirt vendor, Lance Orton, got the NYPD to investigate the SUV which was filled with enough explosive materials to obliterate everyone and every structure in Times Square.

Before the terrorist was identified, the state-run media talking heads were sure the parked SUV was the work of some right-wing, Republican tea-baggers and said so. Before the terrorist was identified, New York Mayor Bloomberg opined the parked SUV was probably the work of right-wing, Republican tea-baggers upset about the passage of ObamaCare. When Mr. Shahzad was identified as the terrorist, Mayor Bloomberg suggested the arrest might be used by right-wing, Republican tea-baggers to be mean to Muslims. So, no matter the actual circumstances, the scapegoats had to be right-wing, Republican tea-baggers.

Thanks to skillful detective work by the NYPD and the FBI, Mr. Shahzad was identified as the owner of the suspect SUV. (By the way, Mr. Shahzad was on the terrorist watch list from 1999 to 2008 for traveling back and forth to Pakistan carrying large bundles of cash. But when the Obama Administration deemphasized counterterrorism operations, Mr. Shahzad’s name was removed from the list.)

Then, 24- hours before Mr. Shahzad boarded Emirates Airlines Flight 202 at JFK; his name went back on the no-fly list. Even so, on May 4th, Mr. Shahzad was able to walk up to the Emirates Airlines counter and pay cash for a one-way ticket to Dubai. The ticket agent failed to consult the no-fly list. Mr. Shahzad then sailed on through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening. (He must have had his toiletries in a one-quart Ziplock™ bag.) Again, he should have been stopped. Instead, he boarded Flight 202 which was about to depart when the airliner was boarded by federal agents and Mr. Shahzad was arrested. Whew!

As columnist Ann Coulter points out: About 100,000 passengers were screened by the TSA that day at JFK but “…failed to stop the only guy they needed to stop at JFK last Monday –the one who planted a bomb in the middle of Times Square days earlier.”

What we are seeing is a race to see who is more incompetent: The Christmas diaper bomber on an inbound airliner and Mr. Shahzad about to escape on an outbound airliner versus our airline security screening forces who annoy millions of innocent Americans each year. You pick. We know the TSA will continue to do its part; however, one of these days a competent terrorist is going to get his or her bomb to blow up.

Turning from the naturalized immigrant, Mr. Shahzad, to illegal immigration, what if Arizona passed a law like this: Illegal immigration is a felony, punishable by up to two years in prison. Immigrants who are deported and attempt to re-enter can be imprisoned for 10 years. Visa violators can be sentenced to six-year terms. People who help illegal immigrants are considered criminals. Foreigners who are deemed detrimental to economic or national interests can be deported and they are in violation of law if they are not physically or mentally healthy or lack the necessary funds for their sustenance.

Holy guacamole! That law is really harsh. According to The Washington Times, that’s the law enacted by (drum roll) Mexico in April, 2000. It is called the: Reglamento de la Ley General de Poblacion – The General Law on Population.

Illegal aliens (AKA undocumented Democrats) apprehended in Arizona are simply deported. So, by comparison with Mexico, the people of Arizona are muy simpatico.

Syndicated columnist, William Hamilton, majored in Government and Law at the University of Oklahoma, earned a M.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University, and is a graduate of Harvard’s JFK School of Government.

©2010. William Hamilton.

Dr. Hamilton can be contacted at:

Email: william@central-view.com