Ashcroft Announces Immigration Crackdown

The move comes just days after the Bush administration issued its second terrorism warning, putting law enforcement officials on high alert for a possible terrorist attack in the near future.

According to Ashcroft, the groups include those linked the al-Qaida network headed by Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. President Bush has already frozen the assets of some of the groups, Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft also announced the creation of a foreign terrorist tracking task force to oversee new immigration efforts and “neutralize the threat of terrorist aliens.”

Immigration Commissioner James Ziglar told the Associated Press the task force will provide officials with “real-time access to information” on immigration issues.

The announcement is part of a Bush administration crackdown aimed at keeping those who would commit or support terrorist acts out of the country. But Ashcroft said today the government would ratchet up efforts to expel terrorists already in the U.S.

“We will detain prosecute and deport terrorist aliens who are already inside the national border,” Ashcroft said. “America will not allow terrorists to use our hospitality as a weapon against us.”

On Monday, President Bush said the government would tighten restrictions on student visas. As many as 600,000 people enter the country through such visas every year.

The president gave few details about specific changes, but said officials would “start asking a lot of questions that heretofore have not been asked.

“We welcome legal immigrants,” the president said. “What we don’t welcome are people who come to hurt the American people, and so therefore, we’re going to be very diligent with our visas and observant with the behavior of people who come to this country.”

At least two suspected terrorist hijackers from the Sept. 11 attacks were in the country on student visas.