Syracuse University has established the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) as a way to provide to the public "comprehensive information about federal staffing, spending, and the enforcement activities of the federal government". Its latest report is ostensibly about the enforcement of immigration laws by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). But, it is really about a problem that is endemic to our current administration - the misuse of words. In fact, the report is entitled "Immigration Enforcement: The Rhetoric, The Reality".
The rhetoric is the claim that the mission of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is to 'protect America and uphold public safety by targeting the people, money and materials that support terrorist and criminal activities'. Well, 814,073 people have been charged with immigration violations by DHS in the past three years. Twelve - that's right, 12 - have been charged with terrorism. 'National security' is a broader term than terrorism. How many have been charged with this? 114. In fact, almost 90% of the immigration-related charges made by DHS are for such critical issues as entering the U.S. without an inspection, overstaying a student visa or not having a valid visa.
Saving us from the terrorists is today's mantra of those who care more about their fiefdom than their countrymen.
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