Right On The Right

"Clear the damn backlogs first!" has become a rallying cry for people that want to see our immigration system reformed and an end to the "immigrate now, ask questions later" system we currently employ. To attempt to clear these backlogs, the Department of Homeland Security is taking an approach that will add to our security problem, not improve it:

In a major policy shift aimed at reducing a ballooning immigration backlog, the Homeland Security Department is preparing to grant permanent residency to tens of thousands of applicants before the FBI completes a required background check.

Those eligible are immigrants whose fingerprints have cleared the FBI database of criminal convictions and arrests, but whose names have not yet cleared the FBI’s criminal or intelligence files after six months of waiting.

The immigrants who are granted permanent status, more commonly known as getting their green cards, will be expected eventually to clear the FBI’s name check. If they don’t, their legal status will be revoked and they’ll be deported.

They'll be deported? As Bryan points out, that'd be possible if we could find them. Our system is broken because Secretary Chertoff and the other bureaucrats in the Department of Homeland Security are worried about efficiency more than security, and public image more than public defense. Clear the backlogs, but not like this!