US Missile Base Invaded by Illegal Immigrants?
By Jim Kouri CPP (10/30/05)
While the American news media partake in the latest feeding frenzy -- the I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby indictment -- and politicians beat the drum over perceived national security risks resulting from the outing of CIA employee Valerie Plame, our military infrastructure is literally being invaded by illegal aliens. Reporters are too busy trying to find out who sent what e-mail to whom in the Leakgate case, while they ignore a true national security breach.
Just recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Department of Defense security officials captured dozens of illegal aliens who were working at sensitive defense facilities such as the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and US Army, Navy and Marine bases in Louisiana and California. Those captured gained access to these military installations through contracted companies, according to ICE officials.
Unauthorized workers who gain access to sensitive U.S. military installations through fraudulent documents or other methods pose serious homeland security threats. Not only are their identities in question, but they are also vulnerable to potential exploitation by terrorists and other criminal organizations given their illegal immigration status in this country. Removing these individuals from sensitive worksites is a priority for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
ICE agents screened the identification of more than 450 contractors and sub-contractors working at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base-New Orleans in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. ICE agents detained six illegal aliens performing contract work at that base. The Naval Air Station had previously conducted its own investigation and formally barred more than a dozen workers from the facility. The facility later requested the assistance of ICE to further investigate employees working for contractors there. Subsequently, agents and base security intercepted 10 illegal aliens attempting to enter the Navy facility.
An investigation into the hiring practices of companies performing contract work at the Bell Chasse facility is ongoing, according to Defense Department officials. Other agencies assisting in operation include the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the US Border Patrol, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Navy base police.
Federal agents also teamed up with the White Sands Missile Range Police Department to arrest an illegal alien trying to enter the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to perform contract work inside the facility. ICE agents processed the individual and placed him into deportation proceedings. Police officials at the facility first sought help from ICE last month after intercepting 12 illegal aliens with fake documents attempting to enter the facility to work at a construction site inside.
In addition, ICE agents took custody of six illegal aliens attempting to enter Fort Irwin, a U.S. Army desert warfare training facility in California, to perform contract work there. Base security had requested the assistance of ICE after questioning the validity of the documents presented by the illegal aliens as they attempted to enter the base for employment. Agents have processed and entered the aliens into removal proceedings.
Also, ICE agents took custody of an illegal alien attempting to enter the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow, California, to perform contract work there. Security officials at the base had intercepted the individual after he allegedly presented a fraudulent driver’s license and social security card to officials there. The illegal alien was arriving for his first day of work at the base on behalf on a contract company.
These arrests are only the latest in ongoing efforts to target and remove illegal aliens working at sensitive sites and critical infrastructure locations around the nation, including defense facilities, nuclear plants, chemical plants, airports, and seaports. As a result of ICE’s homeland security mission, ICE agents prioritize worksite enforcement efforts by focusing on investigations related to critical infrastructure and national security.
Sources: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, US Department of Defense, American Society for Industrial Security
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