Who’s overseeing the DoS now? There are more visa programs run by the State Department than Obama made campaign promises. Why do we need a Diversity Visa lottery program? Why do we need a traveling without a visa waiver program? Sounds like avenues for terrorists to make inroads? In the article Abrams didn’t say that the program should happen immediately, but possibly over time. His overall ideas have merit, if not to relook the way things are currently done and plug some leaks. Since the DoS has proven incompetence in this case, it should make you wonder how many other terrorists are here or coming on invalid visas, issued by some clerk that’s just a rubber stamp operator.
I agree, currently the last line of defense is a (CBP) Customs and Border Inspector at a port of entry. They are under constant pressure to keep the lines moving and generally only have a few moments to clear a passenger. If the passenger as a valid US visa issued by the US consulate chances are the inspector will assume they guy is okay and clear him.
They do deny passengers entry with valid visas from time to time when time allows for more in-depth interviews but many slip through.
This current system is designed to fail. The time to ascertain the admissibility of an alien is prior to the issuance of a visa, not in a line at LAX. I believe that these provisions were in the original DHS legislation but somehow it never mad it into the final bill.