FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: T.Q. Houlton
May 7, 2008 202.226.6997
Tancredo Reiterates Call for Border Fence on Northern Border
after Canada Loses Track of 41,000 AliensCongressman Repeats Need to Protect American Sovereignty, Reject North American Union
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) today sent a letter to Canadian Ambassador to the United States Michael Wilson asking him what actions the Canadian government has taken to track down the 41,000 aliens who have gone missing after being ordered to leave the country.
“Considering that the U.S. and Canada share 5,000 miles of unguarded border, it is imperative the Canadian government track down these individuals,” Tancredo said in a letter to the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. “Our open borders present a serious danger to our citizens and I am calling again on our government to build a fence along our northern border as well as our southern border.”
As of September 2007, the Canada Border Services Agency determined that there were about 63,000 individuals with either enforceable removal orders or outstanding immigration warrants for removal. Only 22,000 of those have been tracked down leaving 41,000 foreigners who were ordered to leave the country or classified as security risks unaccounted for. The Canadian Auditor-General conceded that some of the individuals “may pose a threat to public safety and security.”
Tancredo also reiterated his opposition to ongoing trilateral negotiations between the U.S., Canada and Mexico aimed at integrating the three nations into a “North American Union” in light of the reports.
“This is just another example of why we need borders,” concluded Tancredo. “Integration into a North American Union will mean increased danger to American citizens and certain death for American sovereignty.”
A copy of the letter is below:
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May 7, 2008
The Honorable Michael Wilson
Canadian Ambassador to the United States of AmericaEmbassy of Canada
501 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001-2114
Dear Ambassador Wilson,
I was alarmed by recent reports indicating that the Canadian government cannot locate more than 40,000 aliens who have been ordered to leave Canada. Recent media reports that many of these missing foreigners are failed refugee / asylum seekers who, Auditor General Sheila Fraser conceded, “May pose a threat to public safety and security.”
According to the Fraser Institute, a survey of media reports of 25 Islamic terrorists in Canada indicated that 16 of them claimed refugee status, just as many of the currently unaccounted for aliens have. The report went on to note that “making a refugee claim is used by both terrorists and criminals as a means of rendering their removal from the country more difficult.” And the Canadian Security Intelligence Service noted that Canada is “viewed by some terrorist groups as a place to seek refuge” and added that “Canada’s open and multi-cultural society…makes this country distinctly vulnerable to infiltration by international terrorist networks. Virtually all of the most notorious international terrorist organizations are known to maintain a network presence in Canada.”
These reports are not just a concern for Canadians, however. The U.S.-Canada border spans more than 5,000 miles and is largely unguarded. This unfortunately presents an opportunity for individuals hostile to the United States to take advantage of Canada’s generous immigration laws and then easily cross into the United States. Ahmed Ressam, the so-called “Millenium Bomber” was one person who did just that. Fortunately he was apprehended by an alert U.S. Customs official and is now serving time in prison.
Given the seriousness of the Ressam case, and the numerous examples of dangerous individuals taking advantage of Canadian asylum laws, I would like to know what efforts the Canadian government is taking to track these people down, if any of the missing people have ties to known terrorist groups or criminal records, and their countries of origin. I know I speak for many Americans when I say that I hope that the next Ahmed Ressam is not among the 40,000 foreigners that the Canadian immigration service appears to have lost.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Tom Tancredo, M.C.