Immigration Ramifications of the JFK Plot

By Bill West

The take-down of the suspected radical Islamic terror cell threatening to blow up JFK airport yesterday highlights, yet again, key national security issues related to our immigration system. The alleged ringleader of the plot, Russell Defreitas, is reported to be a 63 year old naturalized US citizen from Guyana. It is not yet clear from released information when he naturalized; however, information gleaned from the criminal complaint indicates he developed his Islamic-inspired hatred for America years ago. The question, of course, is did he harbor such anti-American feelings before he became a naturalized US citizen? If he did, he likely would have lied in the process of becoming naturalized.

The naturalization adjudication process that has been in place for the past two decades has been woefully ill-equipped to identify such potential security risks who apply for US citizenship. Convicted terror supporters such as Fawaz Damra and Sami Al-Arian have either become naturalized citizens or come close to it and are but two examples of very many who have slipped through wide cracks in an overburdened and mismanaged immigration benefit granting system. Essentially, there is no meaningful process to fully investigate the backgrounds of suspected security threats who are applicants for US citizenship. There is not much of a system to even identify such threats, beyond standard name and fingerprint checks and routine interviews conducted by overwhelmed adjudicators.

There would need to be a massive revamping of the naturalization adjudication processing system turning that process heavily in favor of security threat identification and investigation as opposed to routine processing and backlog reduction. Ideally, in the 21st century, mechanisms should be found to accomplish both. Unfortunately, unless there is a massive infusion of resources and drastic change in management structure and focus at US Citizenship and Immigration Services, this won’t happen.

The other disturbing revelation from the JFK plot complaint (page 12) is how the conspirators planned to assist the smuggling of jihad fighters from Asia into the US through the Caribbean. These alleged conspirators appeared to have access to established alien smuggling operations in Guyana and Trinidad, most likely involving the use of false identification and travel documents. Once again, we see the nexus of alien smuggling and terrorism.

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