Cord Byrd: “last week, CNN broke the news that, six months after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the…”

“last week, CNN broke the news that, six months after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Immigration and Naturalization Service finally provided a confirmation notice to a Florida flight school that two of the suicide hijackers who died on September 11 had been approved for student visas. The American people must have been be shaking their heads in dismay. Certainly many politicians viewed the incident with incredulity and anger. Our President said he was ``plenty hot.'' The Attorney General promised an investigation. Legislators and pundits have called for the restructuring--and even for the abolishment--of the INS. I find it hard to understand the apparent shock. That this incident occurred should come as no surprise to anyone who has read anything in recent months about the inept manner in which our immigration system is apparently operating. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the American people heard repeatedly about the lapses in our immigration laws that allowed these terrorists to enter our country. Three of the terrorists were in the country on expired visas and should have been deported. Countless federal reports and investigations have concluded that INS is plagued by backlogs and delays. The agency has little sense of who is crossing our borders, and can't track individuals once they are inside the country.”