Op-Ed: Insecure Borders Put Out the Welcome Mat to International Criminals

This week’s jihadist suicide bombing in Istanbul, coming close on the heels of the ISIS-inspired massacre in Orlando and other recent mass casualty attacks, should be a warning to the world. The situation is going to get much worse before it gets any better.

The United States and other countries in the crosshairs of terrorism are going to be victimized by even more attacks in the months and years ahead.

I just spent several days with my colleagues at the National Sheriffs’ Association Conference in Minneapolis, studying and sharing information on critical law enforcement issues including international and domestic terrorism, radicalization and the national epidemic of narcotics-related deaths. We conducted after-action reviews and discussions about the recent terrorist threats and attacks, and concluded there was more to come. The tragedy in Istanbul confirmed what we had predicted.

The issue of border security was a frequent topic of discussion. Featured speaker philanthropist Howard Buffett offered his view that securing our nation’s borders is not and never has been an immigration issue. It is a matter of national security, keeping out terrorists and drug traffickers who wish to prey on Americans and harm our way of life. Mr. Buffett made the case that border issues affect not only the sheriffs in border states, but law enforcement throughout the country.

“International criminal organizations have claimed space in every county across the country,” he said. “They are not in Afghanistan; they are in Atlanta. They are not in Syria; they are in Chicago. They are not in Yemen; they are in Los Angeles. They are here now.”

Mr. Buffett’s message is not liberal or conservative, Democratic or Republican.

Mr. Buffett is not anti-immigration. He is one of the strongest philanthropists in our country supporting charitable causes in over 80 third world countries, fighting human trafficking, forced migrant labor, refugee issues and building democracies. His message is about a real problem which is destroying America from within. His message is about being humanitarian and solving these problems at the root cause, not just dealing with symptoms. He seeks common sense solutions that are deliberate, balanced and fair.

No area or region of the country is immune from this crisis. My home of Putnam County, New York, a small rural county with a low crime rate 50 miles north of New York City, has suffered from the scourge of illegally smuggled narcotics. Parents who have lost children to drug overdoses in Putnam County have formed an organization called “Drug Crisis in our Backyard.”

Terrorism is also a growing threat made worse by our porous borders. There is a dangerous and growing nexus between terrorists and smuggling networks trafficking in drugs, weapons and people. FBI Director James Comey spoke at the conference and noted that there are ongoing investigations related to the Islamic State terror group in all 50 states. He called for increased cooperation between the FBI and local law enforcement to fight the terror threat, especially in the areas of intelligence gathering and sharing. The FBI cannot do it alone; we came away from his talk feeling that we are on the front lines in the terror fight.

The public debate over immigration is highly politicized and contentious. It is an important issue that must be resolved by Congress and our next president. But it is a separate issue from securing our nation’s borders and protecting our communities from terrorists, international criminal cartels, and the scourge of illegal narcotics. Our insecure borders put out the welcome mat to criminals and radicals who are harming our country every day. Our great country cannot afford to “kick the can down the road” on an issue of this magnitude and importance.

Donald B. Smith

Brigadier General, U.S. Army (Ret.)

Sheriff of Putnam County, New York

June 30, 2016

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