Immigration security

Brian Lonergan: Immigration is unquestionably a national security issue. We need to start treating it like one

We stand at possibly the most dangerous point in the more than four-decade conflict between the United States and Iran. The Trump administration’s decision to kill Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike has the Islamic Republic vowing revenge.

The world now waits for the inevitable Iranian response. Given their long history of sponsoring terror in the Middle East and around the world, anything is possible. The most obvious move is that they would disrupt the shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf, from which comes much of the world’s oil supply.

But the threat from Iran is not just half a world away. It is here in our communities. Thanks to our porous borders and lax immigration enforcement, we also have to consider the possibility of terror attacks by Iranian sleeper agents currently in the U.S.

While America fights with itself over what to do about our immigration laws, the bad actors of the world have been paying attention. They see massive caravans from Central America demanding asylum, and many of the travelers gaining entry into the U.S. What better way to get operatives into the United States and execute a terrorist attack?