Immigration or Invasion? – A Covert War – with Todd Bensman – [Ep. 190]

Linda J. Hansen:  Welcome. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Prosperity 101® Breakroom Economics Podcast. My name is Linda J. Hansen, your host and the author of Prosperity 101®- Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck, and the creator of the Breakroom Economics Online course, the book, the course and the entire podcast library can be found on Prosperity101.Com. I seek to connect boardroom to break room and policy to paycheck by empowering and encouraging employers to educate employees about the public policy issues that affect their jobs. My goal is to help people understand the foundations of prosperity, the policies of prosperity, and how to protect their prosperity by becoming informed, involved, and impactful. I believe this will lead to greater employee loyalty, engagement and retention, and to an increased awareness of the blessings and responsibilities of living in a free society. Listen each week to hear from exciting guests and be sure to visit Prosperity 101.Com.

Thank you so much for joining with me today. And thank you to those of you who are Prosperity partners supporting the work of this podcast and what I do with Prosperity 101®. If you'd like to support the efforts of Prosperity 101®, please go to the Prosperity Partner link on our website prosperity 10 one. Thank you. We need your support to keep these broadcasts on the air and to bring fine guests like we have today. So you know the old saying fish and house guest’s smell after three days? Well, what if you had your home invaded by strangers in voluminous numbers and then the strangers would not only stay, but they'd take over your home, spend your money, and then call you a racist or phobic if you wanted them to leave? Well, that's exactly what is happening on a national scale, with an absolute invasion occurring at our southern border. I don't know where you are listening today, but I can guarantee you that you live in a bordered town. Every town is now a bordered town, as our current administration has flooded the country with illegals from all over the world. My guest today is Todd Bensman. Todd is a repeat guest, and I'm honored to have him return to provide an update, especially regarding national security and our current immigration policies. Todd has covered this issue extensively, and his work with the center for Immigration Studies is so important. His recent books, America’s covert border war and overrun. How Joe Biden unleashed the greatest border crisis in u. S. History are absolutely essential reads for anyone who cares about our national security, economic security, and our immigration crisis. Todd, I believe that you are one of America's true patriots, and history will show that you have risked your life to expose truth. You have given up so much to be on the front lines to learn what is really happening, and you have been relentless in getting the word out. Thank you and thank you for being here today.

Todd Bensman: Thanks for helping me get the word out.

Linda J. Hansen: Well you truly are tireless in your efforts and I know this is one of many interviews you've done today so I appreciate you making extra time and the topic is so important. You have been providing many reports lately and I invite people to go to your website Toddbenzman.com or to the center for Immigration Studies website Cis.org and read your reports. You have testified on Capitol Hill. You have provided many reports about the terrorists that are coming in through our southern border who are being invited in and we're even providing them transportation and entry into our country, all expenses paid, through the CBP One app. Could you explain to the listeners just how many people have come in under this administration and then what is happening now with this app that provides entry into our nation from all over the world, even those on terrorist watch lists?

Todd Bensman: Well people are coming into the country in three to five different ways. There are all different ways that you can get in. You can just cross it illegally between the ports of entry through the brush and we will let you in, we will parole you right in. Within a day you'll be on a bus to Chicago wherever, New York and that's almost everybody man, women, children from wherever in the world that they're from. But the administration doesn't like that kind of entry because it looks terrible from a Fox News drone. So in order to thin that out, they created this other program called CBP One. It's an app on the phone mostly and you can apply before you ever leave Mexico for an appointment to cross a land port. And then we'll meet you on the other side and stamp you in that way. And if you do it that way you'll also get a two year renewable work permit. So you're basically a fully legalized admitted alien using this. And so we wanted to know how many of those they were letting in because after the administration announced those programs in January they shut up about it. The numbers of illegal ones started going down because the numbers of people doing the bridge thing was going up. They would only talk about the numbers that were going down and not tell you about the ones going up. They would argue look, we were to take a victory lap, we've reduced illegal immigration. But they alas had not done that at all.

They just simply transferred the people coming illegally to coming over the bridges and not counting them as illegal. So I asked for an A FOIA request for the numbers and the nationalities and they wouldn't give it to us. So we had to sue. Finally, eight months later we started getting in the litigation. We started getting some material. The material showed that in fact the administration had let in 250,000 immigrants over the bridges. That would have crossed illegally, but they were crossed through the ports of entry and let go that way with their two year work permits. And that it was far beyond just a few nationalities. It was a hundred different nationalities from all over the world, from every corner of the world, including terror countries like Iran and Afghanistan and Syria and Iraq and Indonesia and Mauritania and Senegal and Tunisia and Jordan and Lebanon. Those are called countries of special interest because they have Islamic terrorist organizations in them. And we handed out at least 7300 of those crossing permits to people from those countries with very little vetting. And so we wrote about this. This was my most recent piece. We revealed the total numbers that had never been revealed before and also that they didn't just begin this program when they said they did in January of 2023. They actually began it in May of 2021 and never told anyone about it. They brought in tens of thousands of people before they even announced that they were going to do this new program in January. So the numbers were far greater than they would admit. And the diversity, the spectrum of nationalities to include terror countries, to include 21 countries from the African continent, to include 15 different countries from South America, China, Mongolia, even France and Canada and Spain. Like, why are they giving humanitarian permits to people from France? Really? This raises a lot of questions. 24,000 Russians, they let through 57,000 Mexican citizens, regular Mexicans, to come in on some work parole.

So if they were going to make a work program for Mexicans, a new work program for Mexicans, they could have announced it and told us they were doing it. Instead, they did this secretively, this thing, and there's just so many questions about this that are raised from the new information that we got and produced. To his credit, Senator Charles Grassley from Iowa on the 26th drafted a huge letter, five page letter with a lot of demands in it for information about all of what we produced. What kind of vetting are you doing on these special interest countries, the people that you're letting in? What kind of vetting are you doing on the ones that are crossing illegally? What kind of vetting are you doing? How do you track these people after they're let into the country? We have 270 that turned up to be on the terrorism watch list for the last three years. So we know that terrorists are coming in all different ways. We don't know which ones are who. And we just let a bunch of people in that might be terrorists. We don't know. And so the Grassley letter is very important in that it raises all of these questions officially and is demanding answers by November 10. That was the story that ran yesterday I published in the New York Post.

Linda J. Hansen: I saw that. That is really great. I want to tell you thank you. Because your work is what is driving that. And now, hopefully with a new speaker and a committed house, we can begin to get these investigations rolling. And I think that the American people really need to wake up to the terrorists that are in the country. And as you look at the invasion, basically, and so many will say it's the women and children and things, but it's so many fighting age males from every country and we can see what's happening across the world in the Middle East. We can see the anti-Jewish protest happening in the US right now. And we have no idea if these terrorists are coming in and creating terrorist cells. We are sure they are creating terrorist cells in all of our major cities and elsewhere as they are being provided transportation, food, housing, everything they need on our taxpayer dollars as they are here basically as our enemy.

Todd Bensman:

Right? I mean, I think it's important to note that not all people that come in from countries like Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are terrorists. We should point out that not everybody. The problem is that if you're from one of those countries, our people, our Homeland security people regard them as a higher risk that need to be set over here so that we can get an agent, a trained agent. In front of them to interview them, to find out really what they're all about, to check their pocket trash, to do enhanced security investigations on them. And if they're not, then okay, but I don't believe we're doing that. I testified last month before the House Judiciary Committee about this and I said that when we had 3000 people a year coming from those countries, we could barely keep up with the interviews, with the screening that we did on them. And now there's good reporting that we've had like 75,000 in like eight months from those countries. There's no possible way that our infrastructure is coming to even, just not even a fraction of security investigations for that many people. And we're just letting them into the country like in a day or two. And that is just a recipe for catastrophe. I mean, there's no other way to say it. I'm not screaming that the sky is falling. I'm just saying the risk is really elevated when you do this kind of thing, when you just let people in with it’s the ultimate stranger danger.

Linda J. Hansen: Absolutely, it's a stranger danger. But it's bigger than that because it really does impact our national security, but our economic security too, because it's draining all of the resources that our tax dollars are providing. And as we think about what our tax dollars are paying for these immigrants, could you share a little bit? I know you have seen some of these migrant camps that have been set up, too. That's almost like settlement camps and things that we're paying for and we're providing for their needs and their illegals. And many times the needs of the illegals, whether it's at these camps or whether they're being put up in hotels in New York city or elsewhere, these needs are coming ahead of tax paying American citizens, including veterans, who have served our nation honorably in our military. And this is something that people need to be made aware of and need to contact their representatives and senators about so that this can stop and we can start taking care of our own citizens.

Todd Bensman: Well, all you have to do is attend a Chicago assembly meeting to see what you're talking about. Those assembly meetings right now, that's the equivalent of City Hall. They have a city assembly with elected officials and those are filled to the rafters. Now with angry black community citizens furious to see 50 $75 million a month going to house, feed, close shelter and treat medically. All of the illegal immigrants that are flowing into the Chicago area when they have been demanding a fraction of those amounts to be invested in their communities for them. The resources of these wealthy cities are all being diverted to illegal immigrants at the expense of American homeless, of American needy. And you can see this. The local medias are actually writing about it, the Chicago Tribune. They have to cover the assembly meetings and these people are screaming bloody murder at their assemblymen. What about us? We live here, we're citizens, that sort of thing. So for sure this is a very real and visceral problem. The costs are huge. I think Chicago just announced a program where they're going to be doling out. I forget what the number was. Like something like $3,500 a month per family for housing. And there's thousands and thousands of families. So it's millions and hundreds of millions of dollars. And the black citizens of the community where they're moving into are like, what about us? We could use some rent help.

Linda J. Hansen: Exactly. And I know in New York City too, there are people who are protesting and totally upset and like New York City was a sanctuary city. And this is the trouble with a lot of these policies know, I tell people, think it through to the logical conclusion. If you have a sanctuary city and people can just come there eventually, the resources cannot handle it. And not only does it impact us economically and in national security, but the drug trafficking through the cartels, the human trafficking, the child sex trafficking, all of this through the cartels and the intricate network that they have of the criminals all across the nation are truly impacting every single community with the drug and human trafficking.

Todd Bensman: Right? I mean, having an open border like this brings in it imports, unnecessarily all kinds of human ills. No country does this. Nobody does this anywhere in the world. Nobody has ever done this anywhere in the world where they just open up their borders. Even when the United States was a young country trying to fill the plains with settlers. They still had controls over their seaports with rules. And if you were like sick with the wrong disease, they'd send you back. There have always been some kind of people. It's a basic sovereign right of a nation to decide who gets to come in and the people are the ones that decide in democracy. So this is just a really unusual thing that they want to do this. The Democrats that are in power have turned all spigots on full. Almost nobody gets returned. You have to be a serial killer terrorist too to get returned to your home country in this administration. It's really a stunning global experiment.

Linda J. Hansen: It truly is. And I titled this episode immigration or Invasion? And it's truly an invasion and people often attribute it to incompetence in the administration. But I say no, it is not at all incompetence. It is an actual strategy. They are doing exactly what they want to do because this is what will undermine the security and stability of America and it will allow for a takeover. Basically, America can fall from within. And as we look at this invasion and the fact that there is no border, there are people who have tried to protect the border. And in fact, the state of Texas has tried to put up different things at the border. And our federal Border Patrol agents were cutting the fences and opening it up and they were padlocking open the gates and stuff. Now, I know just recently I read that the Attorney General in Texas who they actually tried to impeach because he was fighting for strong border laws. But now that he won that case and he came back and they actually won the case so that the federal government cannot be cutting these fences that the state of Texas is trying to put up. So this is a victory, but it is long fought and it's very difficult. So what can you say to individuals who are listening? What should they do to make sure that, one, our elected officials start paying closer attention to the border and creating better border policy? But two, what should they be watching for in their communities?

Todd Bensman: Well, I'll take the second one first because I don't have a great answer to the first one. But if you're living in a community that has a school district, go ahead and see if your school district is buying new portable classrooms. Are you seeing portable classrooms going up? Because they'll buy those now and pay for them later with bond election money. So what's probably coming next is if your school district is experiencing overcrowding, you don't have to dig very far to see that there are going to be migrant children, the children of illegal migrants. They were brought in. This is very child centric and they'll be asking you for tax hikes in the form of a bond election. Notice your emergency room go take a stop by and see if it's jam-packed with people that don't speak English. Nobody is insured. So your hospital systems are paying out of pocket for everything to help women give birth, to treating cancer, to everything that's all free. All of them are getting their medical care free in your hospitals, your hospital systems, which will then carry on that price tag to you in the form of higher prices for everything, or go into the red. They're probably going to be in the red and then they may have to cut back on staff which jams up the system even more. Look for increased crime. You should see a lot of people driving with paper tags because they don't have the documents to actually title the vehicles in their name. So they transfer the title every three months to a family member or relative. Paper tags. That's how you'll know that that's happening. Your courtrooms are going to be jammed up with new criminals of every possible stripe and so will your jails and your prison system as we go. There is a crime wave underway all over America. It's not very well documented but you should be able to see and notice that in your community too.

Linda J. Hansen: These are all very important things for the listeners to pay attention to. And in terms of impacting policymakers on Capitol Hill and in your state and local governments, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. So you really need to just continually one. Educate yourselves listeners. So listening to this podcast, going to read Todd's reports, paying attention to his testimony on Capitol Hill, learning about this issue and then making sure you let your voice be heard to your elected representatives because this is the only way change happens. They will not change until they know we are really not going to reelect them. So we have to stand up for America and America's policies. I suggest too that you get copies of Todd's books and share them with your legislators, share them with your neighbors. So Todd, tell the listeners how to get both of your books right.

Todd Bensman: My first book is called America's Covert Border War. This is all about the threat of the jihadist infiltration and what we've been doing about that all these years. That's available anywhere. Books are sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, wherever. And my newest book is called Overrun how Joe Biden unleashed the greatest border crisis in US. History. That's in bookstores now. You can also find it on Amazon and all the usual places that you would buy books.

Linda J. Hansen:

And if listeners want to get a hold of you, how should they do so?

Todd Bensman:

Well if you go to my website Toddbenzman.com, there's a newsletter you can sign up for where you'll get all my latest and you can email me through that. When I send you something you can email back.

Linda J. Hansen: It's really great and you provide so many pieces of information there all the interviews that you do. And then the things that you write for center for Immigration Studies and things, it's great. So, listeners, please do sign up for his newsletter and stay abreast of this situation. It matters to you, it matters to your community, it matters to your family, your business. This is about the future of America, and it's up to us to take care of. So, Todd, do you have anything else to say in closing?

Todd Bensman: No, not really. Just thank you for helping me to magnify the message and get my information out. I appreciate it.

Linda J. Hansen: Well, we appreciate your work more than you know. And I know that you get weary and you are in danger a lot. And I thank you so much for your very scholarly approach and your attention to detail on this so you can waken the American people. So thank you.

Todd Bensman: Thank you.

Linda J. Hansen: Thank you again for listening to the Prosperity 101® Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, and leave a great review. Don't forget to visit Prosperity101.com to access the entire podcast library to order my newest book, Job Security Through Business Prosperity: The Essential Guide to Understanding How Policy Affects Your Paycheck or to enroll you or your employees in the Breakroom Economics online course. You can also receive the free e-book, 10 Tips for Helping Employees Understand How Public Policy Affects Their Paychecks. Freedom is never free. Understanding the foundations of prosperity and the policies of prosperity will help you to protect prosperity as you become informed, involved, and impactful. Please contact us today at Prosperity101.com to let us know how we can serve you. Thank you.