Root of Trump’s Immigration-Enforcement Image Problem

The onslaught of jihadist terrorism against both our homeland and American targets overseas began in 1993 with the bombing of the World Trade Center, just a few blocks from the FBI’s lower Manhattan headquarters and the federal courthouse. The Clinton administration then decided international terrorism would be treated as a law enforcement problem.

Besides the obvious security challenges that flowed from this decision was a consequence less apparent but just as real: It necessarily eroded due process protections because the societal costs of mass-murder attacks are prohibitive — compared to the costs of enduring a reasonable level of quotidian crime, which is a price of living in a free society. The erosion deepened markedly after the shocking 9/11 atrocities that killed nearly 3,000 Americans, destroyed the World Trade Center, and struck the Pentagon.

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The onslaught of jihadist terrorism against both our homeland and American targets overseas began in 1993 with the bombing of the World Trade Center, just a few blocks from the FBI’s lower Manhattan headquarters and the federal courthouse. The Clinton administration then decided international terrorism would be treated as a law enforcement problem.

Besides the obvious security challenges that flowed from this decision was a consequence less apparent but just as real: It necessarily eroded due process protections because the societal costs of mass-murder attacks are prohibitive — compared to the costs of enduring a reasonable level of quotidian crime, which is a price of living in a free society. The erosion deepened markedly after the shocking 9/11 atrocities that killed nearly 3,000 Americans, destroyed the World Trade Center, and struck the Pentagon.

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.