Congress needs to overhaul U.S. immigration policy to strengthen national security and thwart potential terrorist attacks, according to a Bipartisan Policy Center and Chicago Council on Global Affairs report set to be released Friday.
“There is no doubt that we are safer now than before Sept. 11, 2001. Our systems for screening travelers are careful and thorough,” said Michael Chertoff, former Homeland Security secretary and co-chairman of the center’s immigration task force. “But that does not mean we can perfectly detect whether every traveler might be a secret extremist or might eventually become radicalized. The common-sense proposals in this report would enhance our ability to focus on the real threats who may seek to enter our country.”
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The report, which the Washington Examiner received in advance, recommends five changes to immigration and border control procedures, even though it maintains that reforms will not address all security threats.
First, the U.S. must develop a comprehensive set of metrics to consistently measure enforcement efforts and efficiently allocate resources on the border. As part of that initiative, illegal immigrants living in the U.S. should be vetted and documented to improve the allocation of immigration enforcement resources.
Visa overstayers, the largest contributor to the illegal immigrant population, must be tracked to ensure people leave when their paperwork states. The report called for new technological advances that would allow an individual’s location and information to be tracked, allowing the government to deport overstayers.
Cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration officials to remove high-risk individuals while safeguarding civil liberties should improve. In sanctuary cities, criminals in the U.S. illegally are not held for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to pick up because local jurisdictions will not hold them.
Finally, officials need to update and expand channels for legal immigration to stem unauthorized immigration and meet economic and humanitarian priorities.
“It’s critical that we understand how our current homeland security system works and how it might be improved,” said Council President Ivo H. Daalder. “It’s clear from the report that there are practical updates to immigration policies and procedures that can ensure immigration remains an important element of America’s character while also strengthening our national security.”
The conclusion comes two days before Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump take the stage for the second presidential debate. The Republican nominee has a slight advantage over the former secretary of state on national security and terrorism issues, according to a recent Gallup poll. The report is on par with the businessman’s message, that refugees and immigrants attempting to enter the U.S. must be thoroughly screened to protect Americans from terrorists.
