Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is introducing a bill next week that will close what is known as the "Bennett Loophole". The "Bennett Loophole" allows religious groups to aid, abet and harbor illegal aliens.

What is the possible reasoning for this loophole and why did Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) slip it into the 2005 Agriculture Appropriations bill? According to Bennett it was in order to "assist the Mormon Church in utilizing illegal alien missionaries and volunteers."

Great, we have the US government openly introducing legislation that favors one religious group. In the process it then allows for abuse of not only our immigration laws, but opens our country to terrorists who may be using religious organizations to smuggle them, support them and protect them while they hatch their plots from inside our country.

They should have just called it the "Sleeper Cell Assistance Bill".

Tom Tancredo Congressional Page

"Allowing this law to remain on the books encourages terrorist networks disguised as religious groups to hide behind this ill-advised provision of law," Tancredo said. "Does it really make sense to allow Imam’s and Mosques in this country a blank check to transport or harbor foreigners in this country illegally?"

...

In fact the "Bennett Loophole" has spurred Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles to begin a sanctuary movement within religious organizations. First by instructing his priests and lay employees last year to ignore the U.S. House’s immigration bill (HR 4437) if passed into law, and then inspiring an L.A. church to begin construction of an on-site facility designed to harbor illegal aliens facing deportation for violating federal immigration laws.

The House passed a bill last year that would have turned the "Bennett Loophole" back, but the Senate ignored taking it up.