Are immigration issues along the Mexican border a larger threat to homeland security than the threat posed by terrorists?

Topic:
U.S. Political Debates

17 Contributors
in this discussion.

Yes
29% of users

  • Given how brutal these Mexican drug and gang members treat fellow humans, they are at least an equal threat.

    Anyone can see how violent and disgusting these Mexican gangsters are, and I don't see any difference between their deadly acts and those of terrorists. They have their own criminal agenda and stop at nothing to succeed at it. We need to stop them in their tracks, be it in Mexico or America, just like we need to stop terrorists, be they in Yemen and other countries, or in America.

    Yes MarsBIue

  • Immigration issues along the Mexican border are a larger threat than terrorists, because terrorists cannot move freely into our country.

    Immigration issues along the Mexican border are a larger threat than terrorists, because terrorists can't move freely into and out of the country. The Mexican drug cartels move freely into and out of the country, murdering anyone in their way. The body count of terrorist strikes is well documented, but the number of Americans killed by illegal aliens is not clear. Four murders in California, five in Nevada, five in Arizona and eight in Texas do not sound as threatening as 22 killed in a terrorist attack.

    Yes jackprague94

  • Yes, because, at this time, more deaths have occurred from border issues than terrorist activity in the U.S.

    Some of the states bordering Mexico have serious problems with drugs, kidnapping, and murder. All of these are related to illegal aliens crossing over the border for illegal activities. This has gotten so bad in Arizona that the state has enacted very strict and controversial laws dealing with the situation. These immigration problems have brought much crime, mostly drug-related, to our border states.

    Yes NettN355

  • Immigration issues along the Mexican border are a larger threat to homeland security than the threat posed by terrorists.

    Probably immigrants themselves are not a big threat to homeland security. The main problem is that the immigration issues at the Mexican border are related to many different crimes including drugs smuggling, people smuggling and arms and explosives smuggling. This border is a very easy point of access for the terrorists themselves and for many goods and resources they terrorist may use against the United States. A better control of the border will help not only to reduce illegal immigration, but will also help to improve the homeland security.

    Yes l0olllooi

  • The lack of proper border security with Mexico allows for criminals and potential terrorists to enter the country which threatens the safety of the American public.

    Uncontrolled borders create a gaping security hole for the US preventing both the mitigation of criminal activity within the country and the entry of foreign terrorist cells. Wanted criminals can escape from Mexican authorities by hopping over the border allowing them to prey on citizens of the US. Likewise, terrorists can gain access to the United States by sneaking across the unwatched border and wreak havoc once inside the country. The weakness policing of the Mexican border grants not only terrorists access to the county but the dregs of our neighboring countries as well.

    Yes emmereleased
Voice Your Opinion
No
71% of users

  • Illegal aliens mostly want to find jobs, and are able to work.

    Living in Texas, my experience shows that most illegal aliens that come to America are looking for work, and are willing to work hard. Most illegal aliens are law-abiding citizens that only want to take care of their families.

    No ddeathnote

  • The border needs better security, but we cannot stop immigration and maintain our national identity.

    The border needs to be secured, especially from the drug cartels in Mexico. But, immigration is a central principle motivating our national identity. If we close our doors to immigration, we would lose our lifeblood as a nation, and our society would cease to grow and expand in the way it has for generations.

    No LivingJimmy

  • Unless there are terrorists crossing the Mexican border, then immigration issues along the border are not a larger threat to homeland security.

    Immigrants are crossing the borders to find jobs, clean places to live, and food to eat. Immigrants are not coming into the country to harm people. They are coming to better themselves and to provide a better life for their families. Unless immigrants start crossing the Mexican border to steal, rape, or murder Americans, I would say that terrorism remains a much larger threat than immigration. Mexican immigrants would enter legally if the U.S. would only allow them to do so in a timely fashion. If you were starving and couldn't feed your children, I'm sure you'd be much more likely to bend the rules.

    No VagueWiley89

  • I think both these issues, the terrorist problem as well as the immigrant problem, are not real.

    The terrorist problem as well as the immigrant problem are bogus problems used to distract the attention of people from the real issues. Real issues are large corporations and rich people refusing to contribute to society by refusing to pay their fair share of taxes. When there are domestic problems that an administration cannot and/or will not solve, often the method of fear is used. People fear terrorists as well as immigrants. However, chances of getting killed by a terrorist are far less than getting killed in a car crash, yet people get in their car without giving it any thought. The immigrants stealing the jobs of American people are mostly working either in jobs Americans refuse to work in, or for a wage Americans consider to low.

    No MarkConsPiracy

  • They are a threat, but in this world of instant travel and Internet connectivity, they're not a bigger threat than terrorists.

    Just because Mexicans are geographically closer than terrorists abroad, does not make Mexicans a bigger threat. The Internet and air travel keep us all connected. So terrorists thousands of miles away, and oceans apart, are more of an immediate threat than our neighbors with whom we share a border.

    No Th4Fire

  • Imagine Homegrown Terrorist: Remember Oklahoma

    Illegal Immigration on the US southern border has been a problem far longer than terrorism, we should distinguish as a separate and not interlinked problems “Illegal immigration ‘potentially could make a terrorist come in disguise and hit America is farfetched. I do don’t know who is derivative comfort for diverting attention from the problem from illegal migration and cloaking it as “potential” threat from immigrants. Immigration requires different approach than terror strategies and some politicians have created hysteria around this problem. Even by standards of Arizona SB 1070 law which , gives the police sweeping powers of arrest of” suspects” linking the two issues is absurd and that state comes near to the purported linkage of terrorist slipping in as an Illegal Immigrant , could you imagine even the prospects for home-grown terrorism remember Oklahoma ! is that illegal immigration

    No Anonymous

  • Terrorists are a larger threat because terrorist acts have caused more deaths and suffering than illegal immigration.

    Terrorist acts have killed many more people than crimes committed by illegal immigrants. The list of terrorist acts resulting in the deaths of innocent persons is very long: three thousand killed with the destruction of the World Trade Center is just one example. While we hear a lot in the news about crimes committed by illegal immigrants, the number of resulting deaths is much smaller than the deaths resulting from terrorism.

    No R33Bert

  • Immigration issues along the Mexican border are an equal threat as that posed by terrorists.

    Terrorist threats and immigration issues are both a huge concern to our country. While the impact of terrorist has already been seen, there are also issues with the borders. There are severe drug-trafficking issues at our border. Also, there are problems with immigrants living illegally in our country. If they are able to cross the border undetected, they fly under the radar and benefit from our country's economic system, without contributing. Terrorists are a different kind of concern for Americans, so we should be worried about both illegal immigrants and terrorists.

    No EImerN4th

  • I do not believe that illegal Mexican immigrants pose a larger threat to national security than terrorists, terrorists intend to do harm and immigrants are often simply looking for work.

    Many of the jobs taken up by illegal immigrants are jobs that the average American would not want to do. They are helping our economy, not hurting it. Even if that were not true, impoverished foreigners looking for work are far less dangerous than actively spiteful terrorists who intend to do us harm.

    No Ladies Man

  • Most illegal immigrants are not killing people.

    When one compares the importance of a life to a job they will always pick life. There for terrorists, who threaten our life, should be given more priority or concern. Illegal Immigration is not good, but compared to terrorism there is no doubt which poses a bigger threat.

    No C0rn4Gamer

  • Terrorism is a bigger threat than immigration issues along the Mexican border.

    Terrorism is a bigger threat that immigration issues along the Mexican border. I believe this to be so because terrorists murder people on a large scale, whereas the crimes that illegal immigrants commit are not as grave. Also, illegal immigrants make a huge contribution to the American economy. Though they are considered by some as a liability, I believe that they are a necessary evil. And though illegal immigrants should be dealt with, homeland security's primary concern should still focus on terrorists.

    No KIim3Iink

  • NO! While dangerous criminals are clearly coming through the Mexican borders, terrorism provides a much greater threat.

    In the NPR article "Q&A: Illegal Immigrants and the U.S. Economy," it is outlined that many of the illegal immigrants who now live in the US contribute to society, rather than have ill effect on the country. Compare that to the effect that one terrorist attack had on the US (http://terrorism.about.com/od/issuestrends/a/EconomicImpact.htm) and terrorism wins out in the contest of what is a priority in terms of Homeland Security.

    No R0n3KryPto
Voice Your Opinion

Related Debates

Debate Topics

 
 
Are immigration issues along the Mexican border a larger threat to homeland security than the threat posed by terrorists?
Top of Page
© 2010 Juggle, LLC
All Rights Reserved
Encyclopedia & Reference Resource