Derek Chen: Illegal Immigration Threatens US National Security

On December 16, 1978, two young families in Taipei sat around a television set, watching in fear and trembling as President Jimmy Carter, from the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., announced to the world that the United States would establish diplomatic relations with the Beijing government in China effective January 1, 1979. There was widespread fear on the otherwise placid island of Taiwan.

As the days and weeks passed, fear began to spread among the Taiwanese people. They thought that a communist invasion of their island by China was imminent.

From 1927-1936 and again from 1945-1949, a bloody civil war was fought between the nationalist “Kuomintang”, led by Chiang-Kai Shek, and the communists, led by Mao Zedong. When the Kuomintang lost control of territory in China, Chiang-Kai Shek and his government retreated to the island of Taiwan and established their seat of government in Taipei.

To this day, Taiwan and China are divided, with their respective territories governed by two different governments. Until 1979, the United States maintained diplomatic relations with the Taipei government, when the Carter administration transferred diplomatic recognition to the Beijing government.

For those two young families, it was time to finally follow their dreams and come to the United States of America. They went through all the right procedures. They applied for their visas and waited. A few years later, their visas were approved and they could finally immigrate to the United States. Those two young families were my grandparents.

When I was a little kid, I heard my grandparents tell this story dozens of times. I remember asking them at one of our family gatherings, “If everyone was so worried about the communists invading Taiwan, why did you wait so long to move to America?” My grandfather’s answer has always stuck with me. He said, “What kind of example would I be setting for my children if we broke the laws of our new country to come here? Yes, we were worried. Yes, we were worried about our safety. But we had to wait and do it the right way.”

Today, our southern border is flooded with migrants. While most migrants come from Central and South America, migrants from all over the world are crossing our southern border. Customs authorities have no way of knowing who is entering our country, nor what their background is. Some migrants may have recently been released or escaped from prisons. Other migrants may even be directed to enter the United States by our foreign adversaries.

In FY2023, the U.S. Border Patrol encountered 169 individuals on the terrorist watch list between crossings along the southern border. How many individuals on the terrorist watch list were not encountered by Border Patrol and were able to successfully enter the United States? Drug cartels that engage in drug smuggling and human trafficking are taking advantage of America’s porous southern border and making a fortune.

The fentanyl trafficked by the drug cartels is killing our fellow Americans every day.

The Biden-Harris administration’s weak policies at the border are wreaking havoc on communities across the country. Illegal immigration is not a problem that only affects Americans living near the border.

Illegal immigration is a problem that affects all Americans, including Alabamians. An influx of illegal immigrants into Alabama will have a long-term negative impact on the state and will put a huge strain on the infrastructure and resources in our communities. The Biden-Harris administration must reverse their disastrous immigration policies so we can regain control of our borders and effectively combat illegal immigration.

Every American should ask themselves whether it is fair to prioritize people who enter the United States illegally over people who are complying with our immigration laws and doing so properly?

Derek Chen is an Alabama attorney and conservative activist. Born in California to Taiwanese immigrants in the United States, he is now a proud resident of Vestavia Hills. He received his JD from Samford University and his MBA from the University of Alabama.