Providing material support to “terrorists”

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Accidental Governor recently described illegal immigration in Arizona as "terrorist attacks." AZ Gov. Jan Brewer: Arizona under 'terrorist attacks' in the form of illegal immigration

Fox News' Megyn Kelly interviewed Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer:

Kelly: Do you think that these folks who are all noticeably outside of your state, are the ones that I just ticked off, including the President, have an appreciation, governor, for what Arizona has been going through with respect to illegal immigration?

Brewer: Obviously not. You know Arizona has been under terrorist attacks, if you will, with all of this illegal immigration that has been taking place on our very porous border. … The whole issue comes back, that we do not and will not tolerate illegal immigration bringing with it very much so the implications of crime and terrorism into our state.

Terrorism?

No, "undocumented entry" is not terrorism – it is a civil misdemeanor. But let's take Gov. Brewer's assertion of "terrorist attacks" at face value for sake of argument. I have touched upon this issue briefly in What needs to be said about immigration:

When it comes to immigration, there are principally two issues that are generating all the anger:

(1) Illegal immigration to the United States for employment (involving human trafficking by coyotes); and

(2) Illegal drugs entering the United States through drug cartels and gangs in the United States (involving violent crime).

When you listen to the anti-immigrant hysteria, you often hear that "the U.S. is being invaded by Mexico," as if illegal immigrants and illegal drugs are being forced, unwillingly, down the throat of Americans.

This is just a rationalization to avoid looking into the mirror and facing the cold hard truth: it is American employers who are guilty of breaking the law by their demand for illegal immigrant labor, and it is Americans who are guilty of breaking the law by their demand for illegal drugs. The persons most responsible for the immigration and drug trafficking problems are Americans right here in the good ol' USA.

* * *

So let's focus on the real cause of this problem, shall we: exploitive American employers, and American drug users.

You always hear the argument made "enforce the laws!" Well, if exploitive American employers and American drug users are responsible for what Jan Brewer calls "terrorist attacks," here is the law that applies. United States Code: Title 18,2339A. Providing material support to terrorists:

§ 2339A. Providing material support to terrorists

(a) Offense.— Whoever provides material support or resources or conceals or disguises the nature, location, source, or ownership of material support or resources, knowing or intending that they are to be used in preparation for, or in carrying out, a violation of section 32, 37, 81, 175, 229, 351, 831, 842 (m) or (n), 844 (f) or (i), 930 (c), 956, 1114, 1116, 1203, 1361, 1362, 1363, 1366, 1751, 1992, 2155, 2156, 2280, 2281, 2332, 2332a, 2332b, 2332f, or 2340A of this title, section 236 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2284), section 46502 or 60123 (b) of title 49, or any offense listed in section 2332b (g)(5)(B) (except for sections 2339A and 2339B) or in preparation for, or in carrying out, the concealment of an escape from the commission of any such violation, or attempts or conspires to do such an act, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both, and, if the death of any person results, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life. A violation of this section may be prosecuted in any Federal judicial district in which the underlying offense was committed, or in any other Federal judicial district as provided by law.

 

(b) Definitions.— As used in this section—

(1) the term “material support or resources” means any property, tangible or intangible, or service, including currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safehouses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel (1 or more individuals who may be or include oneself), and transportation, except medicine or religious materials;

(2) the term “training” means instruction or teaching designed to impart a specific skill, as opposed to general knowledge; and

(3) the term “expert advice or assistance” means advice or assistance derived from scientific, technical or other specialized knowledge.

So let's "enforce the law," Governor. Whenever an employer is busted for exploiting illegal immigrant labor, or whenever someone is busted on drug charges, both of which provide material support to "terrorists," i.e., human traffickers and drug cartels, following your logic these employers and drug users should also be charged with "providing material support to terrorists." Do you really want to go down this road? That's a whole lotta "good" Americans going to prison.

Or are you only interested in demonizing immigrants as "terrorists"? Yeah, that's what I thought.