When most people think about illegal immigration, they think about undocumented people illegally crossing our country’s Southern border. However, it’s a much broader problem than that. Many people come from overseas and live here illegally also.

For example, a Muslim leader living in the U.S. illegally was recently taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He’s accused of defrauding our country’s national visa program. Vulnerabilities in the visa program allowed him and others to enter our country with fake documents.

According to reports, ICE officers recently detained Hafiz Abdul Hannan, an Imam at the Masjid Al-Islam mosque in New Haven, Connecticut, and are preparing to have him deported to Pakistan, his country of origin. Hannan was initially ordered to be deported back in 2016, but while Obama was in charge, removing non-violent illegals was discouraged so he was allowed to stay. Now that Trump is in charge, things are much different. He’s working with Attorney General (AG) Jeff Sessions to make sure deportation orders are enforced.

Hannan was arrested back in 2006 with 32 other people for allegedly filling out fake applications in order to get a religious workers’ visa. At the time, he was living in Massachusetts, where he was the leader of the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell in Chelmsford. He also served as a chaplain for the Middlesex House of Correction in Billerica. The Islamic community he was a member of while living there claimed it was simply an “administrative error.”

Federal authorities ignored their excuses and concluded that he needed to be removed. When asked about the case, ICE spokesman Shawn Neudauer stated, “Hannan has a previous federal conviction for committing fraud in his immigration documents,” adding, “he will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.”

Shortly after being arrested, his mosque released a statement urging community members to not speak publicly about the situation. “Community members should not contact media or give any statement regarding the current situation of Imam Hannan being detained by ICE,” the statement read, noting, “the majlis will make a statement if deemed necessary with more insight into the situation.”

Despite this, reporters reached out to Saifuddin Hasaan, an assistant to the imam, for a comment. Unfortunately, Hasaan refused. “We haven’t gotten much information, so we’re trying to get information today from the family,” he told reporters, adding, “we’re waiting until they speak with the lawyer, and then after that, we can give you a statement hopefully.”

Unsurprisingly, Hannan’s arrest shocked and angered many. Mongi Dhaouadi, the executive director of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), told reporters, “everybody was shocked to see him being arrested only a few hours before the Friday prayers, a few days before the month of Ramadan, when the community is getting ready for this important holy month,” adding, “so obviously, we’re concerned about the choosing of the time by the authorities to execute this order.”

They’re apparently upset that his arrest wasn’t more convenient, which is obviously absurd. They were perfectly justified in arresting him when they did. People living here illegally need to be removed as soon as possible. It’s too dangerous to let them stay in our country because some may harm others.

Illegal immigration from overseas is more of a threat to our country’s national security than illegal immigration from South America. This is because people sneaking in from the Middle East have a greater chance of being a terrorist. Once inside, a terrorist could potentially do much more harm to people living in our country than someone from a country like Mexico or Venezuela. Because of this, President Trump needs to work with the federal government to ensure that other people from the Middle East can’t sneak in here illegally.

People must not be allowed to enter our country illegally. This is especially true about people coming from the Middle East. While it’s true that not everyone from the Middle East is a terrorist, some are. If they manage to sneak into our country, they could potentially harm vast numbers of people. Conservatives must do everything in their power to make sure this does not happen.