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Where Are The Missing One Hundred Thousand?
By Thomas D. Segel
November 18, 2002

In a move to show the American public an agency is concerned about national security, the Immigration and Naturalization Service is now requiring about 3,000 visitors from various mid eastern countries to report at local offices. They will be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed about the purposes of their trips to the United States.

Those directed to report to the INS are all males between the ages of 16 and 45. They have traveled to the United States from Seyia, Sudan, Iran, Iraq and Libya. The federal government wants to gather their personal information and compare it against criminal and terrorism databases now on file.

Immediately, upon announcement of this data collection effort, cries of racial profiling have been heard across the country. The majority of these charges have come from Islamic and Arab organizations. However, it should also be noted those fringe groups which make up the anti-war movement have been heard echoing the same complaints.

This political correctness move is totally uncalled for as our country is facing terrorist threats from Muslim extremists. Still, airport security personnel target little blue haired Presbyterian grandmothers during passenger screenings, just to show their PC credentials. While this is taking place, those with an Arab or eastern appearance are given only cursory glances. It may be politically correct action, but it should be noted primarily mid eastern men have committed acts of terror against people across the face of the globe.

Political correctness aside, people from specific countries are now being ordered to report to INS offices. According to Department of Justice spokesman Jorge Martinez, no charge of profiling is justified because; "They are deemed to trigger that automatic registration because individuals where they come from might pose an elevated security threat". In plain language terms, most of the terrorists came from those specific countries.

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the INS has registered and interviewed more than 14,000 people of mid eastern extraction. Of that number 179 people have been arrested on either criminal or immigration charges

Most people can find nothing wrong with the INS having more of the men from terrorist sponsoring nations report for registration and interviews. The question the public does have is "What about all those people the government lost?"

With our unprotected borders and shorelines, millions upon millions of aliens have illegally entered the United States. There have been so many border violations the federal government cannot even tell you how many illegal aliens are now in the country. Current estimates place the figure at between eleven and thirteen million people. Of that number it is further estimated that at least 100,000 aliens are of mid eastern extraction. The shocker is that nobody knows where they are today.

Many Americans are concerned that so little effort has been made to locate and interview this huge body of missing mid eastern people. If 179 arrests for criminal acts and immigration violations were made when 14, 000 people were located and interviewed, what would the number be out of 100,000?

If we were to apply the same percentage of criminals and immigration violators to the larger group, those missing 100,000 people would include about 1,300 questionable suspects. Can we really afford to be so complacent about seeking out these people? Are they not the ones who will likely do serious harm to this nation?

Though an estimated 50% of our undocumented aliens entered this country by legal means, the INS still doesn't know where they are located. Most came in on either tourist or student visas and never left, even though the visas were long expired. In addition, even though there is a requirement to keep the government informed as to movement or living addresses, in most cases this has been ignored and nothing done by our government in the form of punitive action.

One additional question should be asked. If these lax immigration efforts have brought about such a serious problemwhy are the American people not screaming out in anger and demanding action to correct the problems immediately?