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POLL STILL ACTIVE!

Do you believe securing U.S. borders should be the first priority of homeland security?

Yes 93% 4296 votes
No 7% 309 votes
Total: 4605 votes

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/
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ALSO, more on what was said about your article on Dobbs last night.

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One of the key issues facing the new director of national intelligence is the possibility that radical Islamist terrorists could infiltrate this country from Mexico. Yesterday, Admiral James Loy, the deputy secretary of homeland security, testified to Congress that al Qaeda may have considered using the Mexican border as an entry point.

Lisa Sylvester reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Admiral James Loy, the deputy chief of homeland security, gave this standard testimony when he spoke before Congress, warning that al Qaeda is still a threat.

But buried in his written testimony were new details of how the terrorist group might try to buy its way into the country through Mexico.

Quote, "Recent information from ongoing investigations, detentions and emerging threat streams strongly suggests that al Qaeda has considered using the Southwest border to infiltrate the United States. Al Qaeda leaders believe illegal entry is more advantageous than legal entry for operational security reasons," end quote.

Senator Dianne Feinstein highlighted the passage in questioning Admiral Loy.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I've looked at the statistics for each country, and the so-called countries of concern -- Syria, Iran, others -- the numbers are up of penetrations through our southwest border.

SYLVESTER: When Mexican illegal aliens are caught, policy is to transfer them back across the border, but illegal aliens not of Mexican descent are freed, with only the promise that they'll return for a court date, a gaping security hole.

REP. SOLOMON ORTIZ (D), TEXAS: This is just common sense that once they pay $900 or $1,000 to a coyote, you think they're going to come back in three months and say, "Here I am. Send me back"?

SYLVESTER: Admiral Loy blames limited resources.

ADMIRAL JAMES LOY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY: We are releasing because of the resource implications attendant to keeping them, and bedding them and detaining them until resolution can come of their -- of their individual cases.

SYLVESTER: But lawmakers worry that among those released in the American population could be a terrorist who simply walked across the border from Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: Last year, there were nearly 45,000 illegal aliens not of Mexican descent who were released into the United States. That's up 48 percent from 2003 -- Lou.

DOBBS: The admiral -- did he make any specific recommendation, like, for example, taking control of our borders?

SYLVESTER: Well, he just reiterated some of the policies and the things that they've already been doing that you're well aware of, US- VISIT, for instance, using unmanned aerial vehicles, but no new ideas, Lou.

DOBBS: Thank you very much.

Nor, apparently, a new commitment.

That brings us to the subject of tonight's poll. The question: Do you believe securing our borders should be the first priority of national security -- homeland security? Yes or no. Cast your vote at loudobbs.com. We'll have the results later in the broadcast.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0502/17/ldt.01.html