[Guest post by DRJ]

Here’s another example of the breakdown between air security, national security, and illegal immigration:

“Nearly two dozen illegal immigrants were arrested Wednesday, accused of using fake security badges to work in critical areas of O’Hare International Airport, including the tarmac, authorities said.

The 23 illegal workers were employed by Ideal Staffing Solutions Inc., whose corporate secretary and office manager also were arrested after an eight-month investigation that involved federal, state and Chicago authorities. The company contracted work for carriers including United Airlines, KLM and Qantas, said Elissa A. Brown, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

“The investigation identifies a vulnerability that could compromise national security, while bringing criminal charges against individuals who built an illegal work force into their business practice,” Brown said.”

Over 100 arrest warrants were issued in the case, and there were arrests of 21 workers from Mexico and two from Guatemala. The report states they can be charged under state criminal laws and be deported. The investigation also showed some workers were using previously deactivated badges:

“The affidavits allege that Ideal Staffing told workers they needed to have identification, but that the documents did not have to be legitimate, and also accused the company of supplying some workers with deactivated badges issued in other names.

Brown, [U.S. Attorney Pat] Fitzgerald and other officials declined to answer questions about how workers could use deactivated badges to enter secure areas of the airport, saying that the investigation continued and that not all details could be revealed.”

I’m glad officials conducted these raids and are working to enforce security, but it’s troublesome that contractors can get this out-of-control. Instead of calling it the Transportation Security Administration, it sounds more like the Transportation No-Security Administration.

— DRJ