America – for over 200 years it has been the land of opportunity and a chance at prosperity for millions of immigrants. It is with the welcoming arms of the Statue of Liberty and open doors of Ellis and Angel Islands that saw to the legal admittance of countless new American citizens.
However, present day America is in the midst of an epidemic – the illegal immigration of millions into our country. Our borders have become porous with the illegal activity of people entering America, most of this criminal behavior coming from the 1,951 mile long border of Mexico.
It is time to crack down on this unlawful behavior by the millions that claim America as their country, but at the same time violate the very laws which govern it.
It is estimated that there are approximately 12 million illegal immigrants located within the confines of the United States; accordingly, that means that one out of every 25 people in America is here illegally.
The Pew Hispanic Center, using a Census Bureau report, estimates that 850,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in the United States each year since 2000. As an American, I find these numbers intolerable, as should you.
America and its leaders have an obligation to act now to solve this problem. Additionally, if our leaders in Washington, D.C. fail to seal the borders and protect our homeland they should be removed from office.
We need to proceed promptly to preserve America as a country of laws and, if these laws are broken then criminals should be brought to justice, not ignored, which the present-day policy on illegal immigrants allows.
The United States can’t continue to have the free-flowing borders that it currently has. Protecting our homeland can only be effective if we have measures in place to deter aliens from entering America. These measures include building a fence on both the Northern and Southern border to dissuade those wishing to violate our laws.
Amnesty is not the answer to the 12 million illegal aliens within our country. The Reagan administration attempted this policy and it was thought to be an acceptable solution to the problem.
This not only failed, but it allowed the problem to become an epidemic. America, as well as my fellow Republicans, should reject any proposals that call for amnesty – this includes President Bush’s plan.
America must find a way to remove those that have broken our laws and permit legal admittance into the country.
The logical argument against this is the 12 million illegal aliens in our country have already spent a good deal of time here in America. I would assert that if someone performs a hit-and-run and is found five years later, they should be punished regardless of the lapse of time.
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, the cost of illegal immigration on the U.S. taxpayer is criminal in itself. The total K-12 school spending for illegal immigrants costs states roughly $12 billion annually, and when the children born here to illegal aliens are added, the costs more than double to $28.6 billion.
In North Carolina, the $771 million spent annually educating illegal immigrant children could rectify part of a $1.2 billion state budget shortfall and avert the need for new taxes proposed by Gov. Mike Easley in the 2006 budget.
Currently, several states and Congress have made efforts to allow illegal aliens to pay heavily-discounted in-state tuition at public colleges and universities- rates not available to American citizens from other states.
As state universities across the country increasingly limit enrollment, increasing the intake of illegal aliens into schools will mean fewer opportunities and less aid for U.S. citizens and legal immigrants.
This issue also affects national security. With the current breach of our borders it is nearly impossible to keep track of exactly who is entering our country. We must maintain a high level of protection in America by having secure borders, and it is time for action – we can’t afford to be passive.
It is imperative as we gain new citizens that we unify beneath one flag, that of Old Glory, and not facilitate protests by flying the flag of another country.
We must have a plan that protects our borders, but allows seasonal workers to enter the country as long as they are tracked.
America is still the welcoming melting pot it always has been – but the pot hath runneth over.
E-mail Matt your thoughts on immigration at [email protected].