The INS & John Lee Malvo

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Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly.  Thank you for watching us tonight.

We have more information for you about one of the accused snipers, John Malvo, an illegal immigrant who was released by the INS against the wishes of the Border Patrol in Washington State.

That is the subject of this evening's Talking Points Memo.

Before we get to the facts, please think about the 13 Americans shot down by Malvo and John Muhammad.  Ten of those people are dead.  And they were folks like you and me.  They got up, went to work or school, and were killed by two out-of-control cowardly individuals.

As we told you last night, the Border Patrol arrested Malvo and his mother, Uma James, last December.  Here are the arrest reports, and they clearly state that the two were in the USA illegally and should be classified as stowaways because they came here aboard a ship, and that means the INS had the right to immediately deport them.

But that did not happen, because the head of the INS deportation office in Seattle, Blake Brown, changed the designation of Malvo and his mother, and they were released to roam the country unsupervised for 10 months.  Brown did this after the Border Patrol refused to change the status of the two, saying they had no ties to America.

So in effect, Brown overruled the Border Patrol and apparently violated the Immigration Reform Act.  Blake Brown and every other INS official answers to Attorney General John Ashcroft.  The Factor has requested a statement from Mr. Ashcroft.  Is he going to investigate the release of Lee Malvo?  Are there extenuating circumstances that we don't know about to explain Brown's behavior?

The attorney general has refused to provide a statement or a spokesperson to clarify this matter.  This, I believe, is an insult to all Americans.  Mr. Ashcroft owes the families of the sniper victims and the rest of the country a full explanation.

There is no question the INS has failed to meet its mandate to control illegal immigration into the United States.  The Census Bureau estimates that as many as 13 million foreigners are running around this country unsupervised.  The government simply does not know who they are or whether they are.

Under President Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno the illegal immigrant problem exploded into chaos, and now, under President Bush and John Ashcroft, it is getting even worse, despite the fact that three of the 9/11 killers were in this country illegally.

It's time for Americans to demand that our elected officials protect us and that the INS be thoroughly reorganized, and that John Ashcroft explain the John Malvo situation.

Here are a few things you can do.  First, contact your congressperson immediately and ask what they will do about this.  Second, you can call the Justice Department directly and urge the attorney general to give you some information.  And third, you can write to President Bush at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20500.

If something isn't done immediately about stopping illegal immigration, more Americans are going to die.  And this is a life-death situation that transcends politics.  Something must be done, and done now.

And that's The Memo .

The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day

Time now for "The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day"...

Forbes magazine is out with the richest politicians in America, not in spirit, but in cash.  New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg leads the list.  He's worth $5 billion, and he wants to raise the bridge tolls.  Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Winthrop Rockefeller second, $1.2 billion.  John Kerry, senator from Massachusetts, weighs in, $500 million.

How do you count it?

Five out of the 10 richest are Democrats, four Republicans, one independent.

Ridiculous?  Depends on how they made the dough.

— You can watch Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 & 11p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com