Illegal Immigration: A Talking Paper

Background

One of the most pressing, yet relatively untouched issues of our time is the challenge of coming to terms with the illegal immigration problem. Over the past several decades illegal immigrants, primarily from Mexico and Central/South American countries have swarmed across the borders. Some current estimates place the number of illegal aliens in our country to be between 20-40 million. The median number of 30 million represents 10% of the entire U.S. population.

1. The principle of law and order are being largely ignored and laws pertaining to immigration are unenforced.

2. The United States, for the past two decades, has experienced a geometric increase in illegal immigration. This immigration is largely due to illegal border crossings from the southern border, but is not limited to Mexico.

3. The United States is undergoing a significant challenge in protecting our economy and preventing a depression. Revenues to the fed are becoming smaller. The effect of illegal immigrant labor suppresses the wage paid to lower income earners.

4. The 9/11 attacks brought the spotlight to bear on areas of weakness concerning national security. The U.S. spends tens of millions each year in vetting international airline passengers and maintaining numerous terrorist watch lists, but the borders remain porous.

Discussion

1. The principles of national security and the social controls of controlling detrimental activities to the nation are cast aside and no real solutions have been proposed, much less implemented. The long term ramifications of continuing to allow open borders can be seen in the following numbers:

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  1. In 1996 it was estimated that illegal immigration accounted for a job displacement of 730,000 Americans as a cost of 4.3 billion dollars. The numbers have tripled since that time.

2. The annual cost of providing services to illegal aliens is more that 45 billion dollars.
3. In 2003, only 186,151 illegal immigrants were deported from our borders.
4. It is estimated that 30% of federal prison inmates are illegals.

2. The national security implications are significant, and each year the potential for a terrorist attack conducted by illegal aliens crossing the border increases. In 2000, a U.S. Customs officer interdicted a vehicle crossing into the U.S. from Canada. Inside the vehicle were explosives that were to be used to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport.

My Opinion

1. The primary function of government is to protect the rights of the citizenry within the responsibilities delineated by the authors of the Constitution. Those rights include insuring the common defense that is part of the concern in the issue of illegal immigration.

2. We should demand that the U.S. government secure our borders. While debating bailouts and tax increases, one of the most depressing factors to our economy is growing each day. It is estimated that in California, only two percent of illegals work in agriculture, while 29 percent are on welfare rolls.

3. The Department of Homeland Security should place an emphasis on allocating resources for securing the border.

4. We should work with Mexico and other Central American nations to assist with building their economies to provide a higher quality of life for their citizens to reduce the need for them to migrate to the U.S.

Recommendations

1. The United States should stand strong an pressure the governments of other nations to reduce their immigrating citizens.

2. All possible action by the various government agencies should be pursued. DHS should utilize B.I.C.E., CBP, and the DOJ should all work to forcefully investigate and deport illegal aliens. Extremely punitive measures should be taken against U.S. companies whi employ illegal immigrants.

3. The National Guard in Border States should be tasked with patrolling the border and interdicting illegal immigrants. In Juarez, the border city of El Paso, the Mexican government sent 1,000 Army personnel to combat the 17,000 gang members that are fighting over smuggling routes in the U.S. There have been 1,000 murders in Juarez this year alone. The State Department has advised that the violence in Juarez is the equivalent of small unit combat engagements using machine guns and grenades. The President should declare illegal immigration a clear and present danger to the security of the U.S., and military and intelligence assets used to secure the borders.

4. Socials services, except for emergency medical care and provision for infants, should be denied to illegal immigrants.