The Heritage Foundation’s Kris W. Kobach, who was counsel to John Ashcroft and his chief adviser on immigration law, pulls no punches in calling the (A) Bill a “National Security Nightmare“.

“Proponents of the Senate’s comprehensive immigration bill are attempting to rhetorically recast the massive amnesty proposal as national security legislation. “It’s a matter of our national security,” insisted Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), a sponsor of the legislation. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez has echoed the point repeatedly: “This is a national security bill. We are fixing a national security problem.” The legislation, proponents claim, would encourage or even compel all illegal aliens–terrorists included–to come forward and reveal their true identities as well as any criminal or terrorist connections that they may have. In reality, however, the legislation would actually create a national security problem by providing new opportunities and advantages for alien terrorists currently operating on American soil…..

……Inexplicably, proponents of the Kennedy amnesty bill assume that its enactment will allow the federal government to identify these terrorists. On the contrary, the bill will make it easier for alien terrorists to operate in the United States by allowing them to create fraudulent identities with ease. To understand what will happen if the bill becomes law, assume the perspective of the illegal alien terrorist operating within the United States.

Within 180 days after the President signs the legislation, the Department of Homeland Security must start handing out amnesties, in the form of “probationary” Z visas. (No border security triggers need to be met; the amnesty comes first, according to Sections 1(a) and 601(f)(2) of the bill.) At that point, the terrorist can choose whichever of three options suits him best.”

In all cases where the options are outlined they are completely unacceptable from a national security standpoint. Again, READ the bill, don’t go off on what others are saying about it, get informed and you can only do that by reading the bill.

Here is the link in case you missed it above for reading it.

UPDATE: Capt Ed covers another reason to back off the current bill.

UPDATE II: Capt Ed gets a response from the White House challenging him on the veractity of the so-called “Z-Visa” and how they will accomplish speedy background checks. Yeah, and Rosie O’Donnell will become Fred Thompson’s running mate. It’s a pipe dream folk. In the course of my law enforcement career I’ve run thousands of background checks, license checks, local criminal histories and I’m telling you it’s a slow process.

Hell half the federal databases are still running on 70s software that won’t even interface properly with national law enforcement systems such as NCIC (National Crime Information). This is flat out bull crap:

“The only one of the five that sometimes takes longer than 24 hours is the FBI Name Check. 68 percent of names checks are returned within 48 hours and another 22 percent are returned within 60 days. Others may take significantly longer, but if the FBI name check is not completed within 24 hours, it will continue during the probationary period — and if any adverse information is found, the alien‚Äôs probationary status will be terminated, and the Z applicant will be deported with no chance of gaining a Z visa. No Z visas will be awarded until all appropriate background checks begun during the probationary period are completed to the satisfaction of the Homeland Security Secretary.”

This sounds good on paper but it’s simply not so. I and thousands of current and former LE officers WISH name checks happened within 48 hours and they definitely do not happen at a rate of 60 percent.

Just toss this mess and start again. Perhaps with enforcement of the existing laws!