Along with hundreds of thousands of Central American economic migrants exploiting a border-crossing loophole for children came unverified stories, rumors really, that some of the children didn't belong to the adults claiming them, that they were being "recycled," or even kidnapped for the crossing. Here's what's really going on. By Todd Bensman originally published by the Center … [Read more...] about How Central American Migrants Pay for Kids to Get Over the Border; An Interview on the Front Line
Securing America's Borders
Why the Case of Jordanian-Mexican Smuggler Who Transported Yemenis over the Texas Border Matters
Federal prosecutors and law enforcement leaders held a press conference in San Antonio to announce a plea deal with a human smuggler who transported Yemenis over the Texas border, reportedly some with terrorism ties. I thought that what these leaders had to say more generally about the terror infiltration threat at the border was more significant than the plea deal, so I opened the spigot and … [Read more...] about Why the Case of Jordanian-Mexican Smuggler Who Transported Yemenis over the Texas Border Matters
Idiot Lights Blinking: Vetting Failures Still Favor Lying Terrorist Migrants
By Todd Bensman as published by the Center for Immigration Studies on April 30, 2019 New reports keep piling up that asylum seekers and refugees from terrorism-spawning countries have slipped through the U.S. vetting systems despite records of Islamic terrorism. Like episodic idiot-lights on the car dashboard that briefly blink on and then disappear for a while, news reports slowly raise … [Read more...] about Idiot Lights Blinking: Vetting Failures Still Favor Lying Terrorist Migrants
Why Cutting Aid to Central America Is Right and Good
Contrary to an oft-heard liberal plaint about President Trump's plans to cut aid to Central America, foreign aid amounts to bribe money, which the U.S. government has always paid to purchase friendship and help when it wants it. The quaint narrative about how U.S. foreign aid puts down El Salvadoran gang-bangers runs smack into this reality about the world and is, in its way, almost adorable in … [Read more...] about Why Cutting Aid to Central America Is Right and Good
ISIS Commander Arrested in Hungary Held Refugee Passport Enabling Unrestricted Air Travel
The arrest of Hassan also raises the question of whether Greece, as a key refugee transit country, is properly vetting higher risk migrants for potential ties to ISIS before granting refugee status and conferring its benefits. The United States has reportedly been assisting Greece, to some extent, in vetting incoming migrants and refugees to determine whether any are terrorists. By Todd … [Read more...] about ISIS Commander Arrested in Hungary Held Refugee Passport Enabling Unrestricted Air Travel
Report from Hungary’s Fenced Borderlands
Not lost on the Hungarians, at least, are the parallels to the current mass illegal migration from Central America over America's southern border, projected to exceed one million in 2019, and as President Donald Trump contemplates building barriers and closing the U.S.-Mexico border. Hungary's fence-with-policies model justifies consideration in an ideas-hungry United States. By Todd Bensman … [Read more...] about Report from Hungary’s Fenced Borderlands
Central American Countries Help Middle Easterners and Terrorist Suspects Reach U.S. Border
American, Panamanian, and Costa Rican law enforcement and intelligence officials are engaged in programs here to hunt, investigate, and deport terrorist suspects who are, in fact, discovered among the thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Horn of Africa, and South Asia funneling through this section of Latin America—as President Trump said and as I saw and heard on the ground. By Todd … [Read more...] about Central American Countries Help Middle Easterners and Terrorist Suspects Reach U.S. Border
Twitter series on mandatory catch-and-release stirs coverage and controversy but settled nothing
Daniel Horowitz of The Conservative Review was among several journalists who wrote about a series of my tweets during the first week of March 2019, which chocked up hundreds of thousands of impressions after the likes of Michelle Malkin and Anne Coulter, followers of my account, retweeted them. The tweets were based on secret verbal policy orders that a credible U.S. Citizen and Immigration … [Read more...] about Twitter series on mandatory catch-and-release stirs coverage and controversy but settled nothing
Yemenis Smuggled over Texas Border Wearing Hard-Hats and Reflective Vests
The latest on an eight-count alien-smuggling indictment charging that a Jordanian with dual Mexican citizenship illegally transported at least seven Yemenis over the southern border in 2017 — near the same Piedras Negras (Mexico)-Eagle Pass (Texas) border-crossing that members of the last Central American migrant caravan were hoping to reach before Mexico detained them. By Todd … [Read more...] about Yemenis Smuggled over Texas Border Wearing Hard-Hats and Reflective Vests
Can and Should Mexican Cartels be Designated as Terrorist Organizations?
By Todd Bensman as published at Center for Immigration Studies on February 26, 2019 Calling for Mexico's drug-trafficking cartels to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations has long earned easy gold stars for the GOP side of the ledger, with really no possible downside. After all, who is not repelled by organizations that behead victims, run houses of torture, co-opt … [Read more...] about Can and Should Mexican Cartels be Designated as Terrorist Organizations?