http://tancredo.house.gov/press/presser ... egally.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Will Adams

December 12, 2005
202.226.6997

Tancredo: 51 Terrorist Suspects Crossed Border Illegally

Joint Terrorism Taskforces Report 51 Persons Arrested on Terrorism-Related Charges in Last Year


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) today revealed figures which show that since October, 2004, 51 persons who have crossed into the U.S. illegally were arrested on suspicion of terrorism. The figures, part of a Department of Homeland Security response to a inquiry by the Congressman, document the national security risk our porous borders pose on the eve of Congress’ first attempt to rewrite immigration law in nearly a decade.


Federal law enforcement coordinates its terrorism efforts through “Joint Terrorism Task Forces� (JTTFs), which include officials from the Justice and Homeland Security Departments. Since October, 2004, JTTFs have kept track of arrested terrorist suspects who are in the U.S. illegally. The JTTF document shows 51 persons were arrested who had “entered without inspection� into the U.S. from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Pakistan.

“If this isn’t a wake-up call to our lax border security, I don’t know what is,â€? said Tancredo. “What scares me is not this list from federal law enforcementâ€â€