No Longer Too Soft on Terrorists : FBI’s Freeh proposes bold new steps to detect and deter ‘undesirable aliens’

Terrorism within the United States became a frightening reality with last year’s bombing of the World Trade Center in New York. That incident was linked to individuals who had entered the country under questionable visa status. Now, as part of an intensified effort to curb terrorism, FBI Director Louis J. Freeh is calling for closing loopholes in U.S. immigration policies and practices, including the tightening of controls on student visas and sham marriages between U.S. citizens and foreigners.

Certainly terrorism is not necessarily a “foreign” activity, and aliens regardless of status should not be unlawfully harassed. But safeguards need to be considered to make the nation less vulnerable to terrorism.

According to a report by Times staff writer Ronald J. Ostrow, Freeh made the recommendations in response to the Justice Department’s request for a review of immigration policies and practices in the wake of the New York bombing and a 1993 assault-rifle attack that killed five people outside CIA headquarters in Langley, Va.

Freeh proposed strengthening investigative powers against suspected “undesirable aliens,” accelerating deportation appeal proceedings and limiting U.S. participation in a visa waiver pilot program under which 9.5 million foreigners entered the country in fiscal 1994.

Freeh said requests for asylum have become “one of the easiest ways to enter and remain” in the United States for those intent on engaging in illegal conduct. Current procedures call for only the posting of a small bond guaranteeing appearance at a future hearing or release on one’s own recognizance. Too often, asylum-seeking aliens never show up for their hearings. Freeh advocated provisions for detention and deportation of those asylum seekers who skirt the law.

The two other categories of abuse are student visas and sham marriages. Students often do not abide by the terms of their study visas and marriages to American citizens are sometimes intended merely to gain legal residency.

The Justice Department is reviewing Freeh’s recommendations.

The United States has long maintained a policy of being as open as possible. That has been a way of refreshing the nation. But abuse of national generosity to carry out ulterior motives, especially terrorism, is not to tolerated. Freeh’s recommendations are directed toward taking preventive measures to weed out possible terrorists. The FBI director’s ideas warrant thoughtful consideration; America must do a better job at warding off terrorism.