If he was hear illegally it would have made tracking him down far more difficult.
Based on what logic?
There is no question in my mind that if he came to the country illegally they would have had a harder time finding him because of the simple fact that finding someone the country knows is actually in the country is far easier than finding someone who we are unaware of. That is simple logic.
You're trying to argue for something that you feel to be true because it provides the most convenient answer to a reality you're willing to accept without any supporting evidence. If you want to make a case for immigration reform and national security there are better sources to choose from, but you're presenting a really weak argument when you use the Times Square bombing to make your case.
All but two of the 9/11 hijackers were in the U.S. legally (the remaining two overstayed their visas).
Ramzi Yousef, entered the U.S. using falsified paperwork but later received a temporary passport.
Timothy McVeigh was a U.S. citizen and military veteran.
Joseph Stack was born in the U.S.
The Weather Underground was comprised of Students for a Democratic Society.
Draconian immigration policies would have done nothing to prevent any of these people from accomplishing the terrible acts they set out to do.
Plus like I have stated I am not opposed to people coming here, I just want them to let us know they are here.
If you really want to reform immigration laws you need to make the process to legally immigrate easier and more efficient. It's a horrible mess that keeps people waiting years and decades. There are millions willing to enter the U.S. legally who do not have the resources, skills, or time to enter legally.
There is also the issue of the millions of illegal immigrants already living within the U.S. who perform vital labor work. Any sort of massive deportation campaign would leave those jobs unfulfilled and create a huge strain on the U.S. economy.
As Oklahoma already discovered over three years ago, passing legislation that harshly punishes illegal immigrants severely hurt the state economy and stripped their police force of what remaining trust they had.
When you create draconian laws targeting illegal immigrants you end up with a community separated by fear. These people are then put at a greater risk for harm because they can not be adequately served by the services set in place to protect them from crime and opportunistic corporations.
