Securing U.S. Borders

"What we are seeing, though, is a change in the demographics... (The cartels) are shifting toward supporting additional migration from extra-continental countries, as well as Mexican nationals. I mean Indians, Africans, Haitians, Brazilians. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. That's what we refer to as extra-continental, other than Northern Triangle countries." By Todd … [Read more...] about Big Media Miss: CBP Chief Says ‘Extra-Continental’ Migration a 2020 Priority

A newly published Associated Press story about illegal immigration to the U.S. southern border seems to delight in reminding readers that cartel-linked smugglers are still making money despite President Trump's "crackdown." But instead, the AP unintentionally lauds "new Trump administration policies" and the resulting "dramatic policy changes on both sides of the border" for having "reduced the … [Read more...] about Six-Month AP Investigation of Migrant-Smuggling Business in Mexico Reveals Potency of Trump Policies

Nine Republican senators have introduced the Significant Transnational Criminal Organization Designation Act, which leaves America's counterterrorism enterprise alone, but still brings to bear the very same powerful government authorities for which proponents of FTO designation were hoping. By Todd Bensman as published by the Center for Immigration Studies on December 13, 2019 In precious few … [Read more...] about Bill Would Designate Mexican Cartels as Something Other Than Terrorists

President Trump says he's moving forward with plans to designate the Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, the same as ISIS. The designation is not official yet. That’s good, because someone needs to hit the pause button on this. Here's why. By Todd Bensman as originally published December 3, 2019 by The Federalist President Trump’s surprise revelation last week to talk show … [Read more...] about Why Trump Should Hit Pause On Designating Mexican Cartels As Terrorists

The national security justifications that proponents of FTO designation pose are unpersuasive, and there's no evidence that they or anyone in government have done the serious analysis or planning — or any deep thinking at all, frankly — to assess the impacts of adding tens of thousands of Mexican "terrorists" to America's counterterrorism efforts against Islamic jihadist organizations. … [Read more...] about Hold Off! Designating Mexican Cartels as Terrorists Could Dilute War on Jihadists

The controversial nonprofit wall-building group We Build the Wall is now in South Texas tilling the soil of its second project, a 3.5-mile build along the Rio Grande River. It took no time at all for opponents to complain. Expect the fighting to become a feature of Texas for a long time to come. By Todd Bensman as published by the Center for Immigration Studies on November 26, 2019 MISSION, … [Read more...] about Crowd-funded ‘We Build the Wall’ Starts Texas Project Despite ‘Butterfly People,’ ‘Rogue Priests’ and ‘Freaks’

Moayad Heider Mohammad Aldairi's case is interesting because it briefly illuminates a fascinating kind of American counterterrorism-immigration operation reporters must do acrobatic yoga to avoid covering. The Aldairi case also demonstrates why this exotic sort of human smuggling presents a national security threat to the homeland and has spawned James Bondian foreign efforts to take other … [Read more...] about American justice caught up to a smuggler of suspected Yemeni terrorists through Mexico