Sessions, Cruz Demand Immigration History of Homegrown Terrorists

At Conservative Review, we’ve focused a lot this year on the nexus between politically correct immigration policies and risks to our national security. That, in fact, clamping down on immigration from volatile parts of the world is more important, prudent, and constitutional than engaging in nation building oversees or expanding the surveillance state.

With the FBI warning that the homegrown terror problem is growing out of control, especially among the ranks of families who emigrated from the Middle East, two conservative senators want answers on the danger of our immigration policies and the role it has played in homegrown terror. Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and Secretary of State John Kerry demanding answers regarding the immigration status of the growing list of individuals caught planning terror attacks, executing terror attacks, or flying abroad to fight for Islamic terror groups. In the letter, they state, in part:

Based on publicly available information, we have identified at least 72 individuals in the United States who, over the last year: have engaged in or attempted to engage in acts of terrorism; conspired or attempted to conspire to provide material support to a terrorist organization; engaged in criminal conduct inspired by terrorist ideology; or who have been sentenced for any of the foregoing. We would like to understand more about these individuals, and others similarly situated in recent history, and the nexus between terrorism and our immigration system.

Sessions and Cruz are exactly right. Five American servicemen were murdered on American soil by an Islamic terrorist whose family immigrated here from Kuwait. There are so many unanswered questions about his immigration history and neither the political class nor the media seem interested in asking the relevant questions.

Instead of relying on the administration to supply half-baked information, the senators cleverly created a chart with specific permutations of immigration questions for the 72 cases and are requesting that the relevant departments coordinate to fill them out. In addition, they have requested a list of all immigrants who have engaged in terror activities since 1993. That was the year two CIA agents were shot and killed outside of the Langley headquarters and the World Trade Center was bombed by Muslim immigrants from the Middle East. The Heritage Foundation counts 69 known terror plots since 9/11, most of which were committed by Muslim immigrants to the U.S. or those from families that emigrated from the Middle East.

The senators want to know why more isn’t being done to deter the growing trend of individuals living here who attempt to join terror groups. Cruz’s office pointed to the bill he introduced earlier this year, which would strip citizenship and passports from those who join terrorist organizations. “The Senator plans to continue to push for the Judiciary Committee to take up the Expatriate Terrorist Act. This letter is part of the effort to make the case that ETA is needed as a tool to prevent acts of terror by naturalized citizens.”

What is so offensive about this growing phenomenon is that it is so avoidable. Our government can’t stop all domestic crime nor can they solve the world’s problems, but it is their responsibility and within their power to prevent security risks from coming here to begin with. However, there is so little data collected on the immigration history of domestic terrorists because it flies in the face of the left-wing agenda. And that is the goal of this letter, according to Cruz’s office. “The Senator has grave concerns about how well the government is vetting foreign nationals whom it allows into the country and whom, in some cases, it allows to become US citizens,” said a Cruz aid. “The letter is part of an effort to gain a better understanding of the problem so that we can address it.”

It was disappointing to watch the incoherence of the presidential candidates on this issue during both debates last Thursday. When the question of homegrown Islamic terror was posed to the candidates, they spoke at length about fighting overseas (with too much focus solely on ISIS) and debated the NSA surveillance program, but none of them brought up the 800-pound gorilla in the room – suicidal immigration policies. Have none of them read the bipartisan 9/11 Commission Report?

America represents 4% of the world’s population, yet it already has 20% of the world’s migrants. Gallup finds that 138 million people worldwide would like to immigrate to the U.S. There is no lack of supply for new immigrants; we can choose the best and brightest. So why are our politicians continuing the failed policies that bring in security risks, violent criminals, and even fiscal liabilities? Immigration is an elective policy and should be used to benefit the country, not dismantle it. It’s about time our representatives get to the bottom of our insecure immigration system. The Sessions/Cruz effort is a good start. (Re-posted with permission from the author, “Sessions, Cruz Demand Immigration History of Homegrown Terrorists”, originally appeared HERE)

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