Amnesty policy lets illegal aliens stay in the U.S.

To the editor:

Americans know who is responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks, but they want to know who is responsible for letting the terrorists stay in this country. Both Republicans and Democrats are at fault. Democrats relaxed immigration policies to allow Hispanics, who traditionally support Democratic policies, into the country. The Democrats under Bill Clinton and Al Gore saw this as an opportunity to ensure Gore's election in 2000. The Republicans under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney allowed these immigrants to stay through an amnesty exemption.

One of the immigrants was Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, who is not Hispanic. He is an Egyptian who killed two and injured three at the Los Angeles airport. According to WorldNet Daily, Hadayet was originally scheduled for deportation because he was in the United States illegally. Hadayet was allowed to stay in the country through the amnesty exemption. Senate majority leader Tom Daschle and President Bush would like to see this amnesty exemption extended.

Is it not enough that we still have illegal immigrants slipping through the cracks? Right now in the United States there are approximately 5,000 illegal immigrants suspected of terrorist ties. There is a very big possibility that one of these 5,000 will be granted amnesty exemption if Bush and Daschle get their way.

It seems the government wants to spend more time watching you and me rather than trying to track down potential terrorists. All of this shows the government is incapable of protecting the citizens of this country.

CLINT E. LACY

Marble Hill, Mo.