Illegal immigration

Today’s immigration problem:

A flood of undocumented individuals have entered our country while sidestepping our rules and regulations for entry into this country thereby increasing the burdens on our social support structures.

What has contributed to this problem:

  1. The desire for any individual to enjoy the life that we as Americans enjoy.
  2. The desire of many industries for a low cost source of employees.
  3. The tightening of our borders. Prior to the 1990s, many individuals would travel into the United States to work in the seasonal industries and then return home where their earned dollars had a greater purchasing power. They maintained their families in their home country and would travel back and forth more readily. With a tightening of security there was less freedom of movement and this encouraged individuals not to return but to set up residence. With strong family values, this necessitated bringing their families. With the migration of the families we began seeing an increased utilization of our education system, health care system, and social services.

What needs to happen to solve the problem:

  1. Continue to strengthen our border security.
  2. Work with the Mexican government to permit placement of education centers in towns along the border on the Mexican side that explain and educate the population on the proper way to earn entrance into our country and to explain and educate them on the potential penalties for improper entry.
  3. We must provide employers with the support they need to obtain the work force they require which most assuredly is possible to be found within our own borders provided by our own citizens.
  4. We must not provide access to foreign nationals to our southern roadways but support our Teamsters
  5. As a country established by the rule of law we must enforce our present laws.

This problem will never achieve a perfect solution as borders will always remain porous. Our lessons from Vietnam surely taught us that even a narrow segment of land cannot be so heavily protected as to prevent the passage of determined individuals. As a nation of immigrants it is also understandable for others to desire our way of life and our way of governance. As a nation of immigrants it is also obvious that much of our strength is achieved through our diversity.

Many of our greatest achievements have been reached through the efforts of legal immigrants who shared their dreams, their talents, and their industry. Many legal immigrants have sacrificed their lives in defense of our country. We must work to provide the proper avenues for entry into our country and not provide unlimited benefits to those who bypass our rules.