Illegal Aliens---My Take

4/5/06


I have listened with interest to the many different ideas on the illegal immigrant issue. I have heard people that want to protect our borders called racists and I have heard people calling for completely ignoring the "problem". I have heard the president call for a "guest worker program (amnesty)" and I have heard people call for a large US Army contingent on the border.
I think I come down somewhere in the middle. I think you have to protect the borders of this country. I think that might include a fence in places, a stronger fence in other places, a beefed up border patrol and any unmanned sensors needed. Not the Army. The first step in ANY solution to the problem is to stem the tide that is overflowing our country. If that is not done, it is merely a game.
I don’t want to stop immigration, though that might not be a bad idea for starters if it is done in a very fair and VERY temporary manner. I want to stop illegals. Not undocumented workers. If you are in this country without a visa or green card, you are illegal. You are breaking a law.
A lot of people break the law (i.e., When is the last time you drove the speed limit on an uncrowded interstate highway?). The reasonable person that breaks the law does so knowing he can be ticketed or arrested. Illegal aliens should have the same situation. If they are caught by the police they should be sent back to the country of origin. No long appeal filled delays. Just go home.
If we can stop the flood at the border then we can try to make a dent in assimilating the illegals that are here now. I don't think that we should go knocking on doors in the middle of the night but if a person comes to the attention of the authorities and is illegal (and it should not be an insult to have your documents checked) then that person should go out ASAP.
There should be courts dedicated to this and there should be local detention available. I know that will cost money and some of that should come from the fines from employers that knowingly hire illegals.
Social services should be restricted to those that are deserving of them. Those are citizens of this country. The only possible exception I would accept would be for emergency medical services. Food Stamps and housing and other services should not be going to non citizens. If you come to this country illegally, you are not to benefit from it. I want to pull the welcome mat.
Here is where I differ from many conservatives. If you can stay in this country under those conditions and you don’t get into trouble and come to the attention of authorities and if you want to stay and become a citizen of the nation you have "broken and entered", then I agree that there has to be some way for you to become a citizen. If not, we would be creating a permanent under class. No rational person wants that. It might cause prices of many personal services to increase but that is a small price to pay for the increased security and the decrease in the problems caused by the constant inflow of illegal aliens.
We need immigrants. We need these people. Our economy needs these people. The problem is assimilation. If this is going to remain a vibrant growing society, we cannot allow the country to Balkanize.