National Security and Immigration Policy: Reclaiming Terms, Measuring Success, and Setting Priorities
Abstract
The U.S. debate on immigration has been characterized by a simplistic human rights versus national security paradigm that has inhibited serious discussion of the role of the U.S. immigration system in a coordinated national security strategy. The debate has been further hampered by the paucity of counter-terror experts who understand the immigration system, and by a lack of security expertise in the immigrant rights community. This project attempts to bridge that divide. The stakes could not be higher. The threat of catastrophic terrorism, coupled with the vulnerabilities exposed by the September 11th attacks, demands that the U.S. immigration system be integrated into a comprehensive national security plan. At the same time, U.S. strength and prosperity a key component of US national security depends on America's openness to the foreign-born and, even more, on America's adherence to its defining values. Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) began to meet with counter-terror experts to explore how the U.S. immigration system should be reformed to further the nation's security. Vincent Cannistraro, former Chief of Operations and Analysis at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, and Harry Brandon, former Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI and head of National Security and Counterterrorism, served as indispensable guides in the early stages of this process. In 2004, CLINIC approached the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, LLP for pro bono representation in a project that CLINIC hoped would produce a comprehensive analysis of the role of immigration policy in national security. Between November 2004 and April 2005, a team of Fried Frank attorneys comprised of Michael Bromwich (lead partner), Beth Colleye, Alida Barletta, and Jennifer Wollenberg conducted extensive research and interviews with eight security experts from a variety of backgrounds.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 31, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA593653
Entities
People
- Donald Kerwin
- Margaret D. Stock
Organizations
- United States Military Academy