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New law's impact on terrorism called minimal
 
By Associated Press
Published: 11/15/2007  8:47 AM
Last Modified: 11/15/2007  8:47 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The executive director of the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism says Oklahoma's new immigration law does little to make the state or country safer from terrorism.

"We should remember that the 9/11 terrorists ... all had visas and entered this country legally," Don Hamilton said Wednesday in an interview after speaking to members of the Council of State Governments.

The new law seeks to bar illegal immigrants from obtaining jobs or public benefits and penalizes those who harbor or transport them.

About half the illegal immigrants in the United States entered legally but overstayed their visas, he said.

"If you put death rays on the border with Mexico that were 100 percent effective, you would only have solved less than half of the illegal immigration problem," he said.

Oklahoma's law, House Bill 1804, was written in response to the growing number of illegal immigrants in the state, most of whom come from Mexico.

Some supporters have said the measure would decrease the chance of terrorists who slipped across the American border from getting into Oklahoma.

"The government of Mexico is never going to make an effort to prevent Mexicans from entering the United States illegally," Hamilton said.

"(But) Mexico understands that their relationship with the United States is absolutely their most important relation with any other country. ... Middle Easterners attempting to enter Mexico face at least as much scrutiny as they do when they try to enter the United States."
By Associated Press

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LM, Cleveland (11/15/2007 10:09:09 AM)
Muslim Terrorist's come thru Great Britain and then to Canada and cross the Northern Border.... Great Britain's Empire Building and assimilation of Foreign Nationals has Backfired on them and is affecting the U.S... The Day of the Gentile has come and is now going. All in accordance with Biblical Prophecy 2,000 yrs. ago.
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Jim M, tulsa (11/15/2007 10:09:36 AM)
Good idea...let's put some death rays on the border! Better yet, dump the politicos that won't support illegal immigrant control. The leftist Associated Press has plenty of these writers and articles and the TW is more than willing to use them.

Hooray for HB 1804!!!

Report Comment
Michael Phillips, Tulsa (11/15/2007 11:40:19 AM)
Does the last paragraph suggest that Mexico would never do anything to endanger anyone in this country? Could the people from the AP keep a straight face as they wrote those words? If Middle Easterners attmpting to enter Mexico face any scrutiny at all, it won't be meant for the benefit of the United States.
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Ruper Shootman, Tulsa (11/15/2007 11:51:46 AM)
Who said that HB1804 was a Homeland Security issue? It is about keeping our schools, hospitals and semi-skilled work forces from being destroyed. As for building a border fence, with or without "death rays," solving half of the terrorism threat sounds pretty good to me. How about you?
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mdc, Broken Arrow (11/15/2007 12:20:36 PM)
If one specific act could resolve 50% of the illegal immigration problem, I think that would be a huge win!!!

.

Instead the government keeps chasing measures that are aimed at improving the situation 2% here and 4% there.

.

We can't fix the problem until we get an accurate account of what we're up against. You must shut off the water before you can fix the leaky pipe.

.

Let's quit wasting time and build the fence...

Report Comment
mj, Tulsa (11/15/2007 1:52:25 PM)
This Hamilton clown sounds like another typical naysayer of ANY local attempts to fix the illegal alien invasion. Homeland Security has acknowlodged that foreign nationals from terrorist sponsor countries have indeed crossed into our country. I agree that ANY improvement in slowing down this crisis is a plus.
Report Comment
arby, (11/15/2007 2:01:42 PM)
This Hamilton clown doesn't seem to understand that terrorist tactics evolve as counter-terrorism evolves. Everyone knows our system of allowing people into the US was (and still is) broken- but, it is now more difficult for a terrorist to get into the US via "the usual" means. So, we must attack potential entry into the US from many directions- and HB 1804 only addresses one potential problem with illegal entry (and residence) into the US. Hamilton apparently doesn't understand that Oklahoma does not border Mexico, and so we can't do anything about sealing the borders! That is up to (sadly) the Feds
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Joy Mayes, Tulsa (11/15/2007 3:26:04 PM)
Good point of Hamilton.... By the way, 1804 is about racism not to prevent terrorism. Who's the clown?. Terryl is. He should do more to the community by selling his mask for next year for halloween day.

Report Comment
Bubba, OKC (11/15/2007 3:42:41 PM)
I saw some 1804 supporters on National Geographic last night. Yeehaw!
Report Comment
mj, Tulsa (11/15/2007 4:24:17 PM)
#8 - Please cite in the law the reference to any particular race

#9 - Sounds like your load at the day labor site must be dimishing...you can always head to Mexifornia...you little Reconquista !

Report Comment
pettifogger, (11/15/2007 4:35:03 PM)
#8 try reading the law before you hit the mescal

nowhere does it mention any particular race, creed, or land of origin

what definition of illegal alien do you not understand?

Report Comment
mdc, Broken Arrow (11/15/2007 4:38:08 PM)
Ah... Joy Mayes... still no specifics about why you think HB 1804 is about RACE? Just because "you said so". Too personally involved to take those political blinders off and see that it is about the drain on our economy and the LAW.

.

As a parent aren't you excited about the 10-15% reduction in crystal meth that has happened over the past few months? I know I am... they claim it's still too early to link it to all of the illegal immigrants leaving the state.... but I'm betting there's a link, since it's a proven fact that the majority of crystal meth has been tracked back to Mexican drug labs...

.

That's gotta make you feel better as a parent? doesn't it???

Report Comment
mdc, Broken Arrow (11/15/2007 4:47:13 PM)
50% of the illegal immigration problem could be solved by building a fence? And why isn't that a large enough percentage to start construction? It could be the "Great Wall of America".... make it a tourist attraction...
Report Comment
rad, (11/15/2007 8:03:25 PM)
All hail HB1804!

More Americans from all states need to grow a sac and stand up to these foreign invaders. The only security is through strength. The meek shall inherit a bullseye on their forhead. Don't let our corrupt government officials tell you how to think.

Report Comment
Dover , (11/16/2007 7:43:02 AM)
Well about all I have to say about it terrorism was a very small part of the actual reason HB1804 was so popular. I believe it was mainly to control the Illegal massive invasion and abuse to the state!
Report Comment
Dover , (11/16/2007 7:46:22 AM)
Hopefully this bill will also slow the mexican drug cartels importing the killer meth ice. If mexico wont try and slow or stop HB1804 will most certainly slow it down. I have an equal opinion about terrorists and mexican drug cartels. There goal is the same.
Report Comment
Joe, (11/16/2007 9:49:13 AM)
It was never supposed to be about terrorism, but let's look at the facts. Those terrorists had over stayed their visas and were here illegally. They also had many other fake documents and could've been rounded up by this law. I love how reporting has just become opinion rather than fact these days. Now they're reporting how ineffective the law is, so why the big fuss about it then? If it's so ineffective, why are people trying to take it to court, having marches, and screaming racist comments? Don't be fooled by the rhetoric. My guess, once the state public assistance gets taken away, more people will be leaving. It always comes down to the money, always.
 

 
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