Many Illegals Just Fly into U.S.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007 10:22 PM

By: Clayton B. Reid/Newsmax.com

While America continues to pour tax money into walling off the Mexican border, fully half of illegal aliens come into the U.S. by other routes -- many simply arrive via commercial jets, according to immigration authorities.

Expired student and tourist visas, phony marriages, unchecked container ships and the porous Canadian border to the north all contribute as much to illegal immigration as Mexican border jumpers, experts say.

That’s especially true for those who mean us harm. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, 12 known al-Qaida operatives — including two conspirators in the first World Trade Center attack and four of the 9/11 terrorists — simply flew into the United States and were waved through customs on student or tourist visas. The terrorists later violated their vias by staying past the expiration date -- a practice that is not uncommon.

In fact, the Pew Hispanic Center estimated in 2006 that almost half of unauthorized immigrants, or up to 45 per cent, entered the U.S. with various kinds of visas allowing them to stay for a set periods of between 90 days and two years – and simply did not leave.