Conservative Blogger: The Greatest Threat to Our National Security...

The best thing we can do to defend our borders is to give our CBP Border Patrol agents the tools and manpower they need and the freedom to do their job.

Below is a rendering of a sign that Cal-Trans has actually appears on California interstates warning that "undocumented immigrants" may be attempting to cross the highway on foot.

"Undocumented immigrants" is a fancy euphemism for "criminal trespassers."

The position of the Bush Administration on this just completely puzzles me.

Now, I know, I know...Reagan's 11th commandment was "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican." I get that. I'm not speaking ill of Bush or his administration as much as I just fundamentally disagree with their policy on immigration.

I firmly believe that the greatest threat facing the security of our country is our borders, and I don't think the Bush Administration is doing enough to neutralize this threat. Illegal immigration isn't just a threat to the American worker and to our economy. It goes much deeper than that. Certainly the economic factor is serious, but the potential danger to our national security is even greater.

If you recall, initial reports on September 11, 2001, said that the 19 hijackers entered the United States illegally with forged credentials through both Canada and Mexico. Although these reports were largely dismissed as unsubstantiated hearsay the fact is it's not only possible, it's downright probable. It's highly likely that "undocumented immigrants" include terrorists or other people who wish to do us harm. It's very easy for anyone to come across either border and it's time we did something about it.

Yes, Mexico and Canada are our allies and friends. I have no problem with the citizens of those countries---or with citizens of any other country who wish to emigrate here through legal means. America was founded by people who emigrated to her shores. I have family members who arrived in this country legally, as well as friends who are resident aliens here in the States. That's all 100% fine and I'm glad that they're here.

What I have a problem with, however, is people who have come to this country illegally, criminally trespassing on the soil of the United States. While we clearly have border crossing checkpoints, our open border policy has put our nation at risk.

Now I am not advocating isolationism. I do not think that the United States benefits itself or the world by cutting ourselves off from the rest of humanity. I know that there are other conservative pundits out there who advocate that saying that it's the only way to ensure the sovereignty of the United States, but I don't agree.

So what's President Bush's plan? The "Principles of Immigration Reform" from his Fair and Secure Immigration Reform bill are as follows:

Principles of Immigration Reform -- The President's proposal is based on several basic principles:

Protecting the Homeland by Controlling Our Borders: The program should link to efforts to control our border through agreements with countries whose nationals participate in the program. It must support ongoing efforts to enhance homeland security.

Serve America's Economy by Matching a Willing Worker with a Willing Employer: When no American worker is available and willing to take a job, the program should provide a labor supply for American employers. It should do so in a way that is clear, streamlined, and efficient so people can find jobs and employers can find workers in a timely manner.

Promoting Compassion: The program should grant currently working undocumented aliens a temporary worker status to prevent exploitation. Participants would be issued a temporary worker card that will allow them to travel back and forth between their home and the U.S. without fear of being denied re-entry into America.

Providing Incentives for Return to Home Country: The program will require the return of temporary workers to their home country after their period of work has concluded. The legal status granted by this program would last three years, be renewable, and would have an end. During the temporary work period, it should allow movement across the U.S. borders so the worker can maintain roots in their home country.

Protecting the Rights of Legal Immigrants: The program should not connect participation to a green card or citizenship. However, it should not preclude a participant from obtaining green card status through the existing process. It should not permit undocumented workers to gain an advantage over those who have followed the rules.

Now the White House is very quick to say that "President Bush does not support amnesty because individuals who violate America's laws should not be rewarded for illegal behavior and because amnesty perpetuates illegal immigration." Well, pardon me, but...well...what the heck is that whole "Promoting Compassion" bullet point about then? That sure sounds like a reward for being here illegally, doesn't it? You know, you can put paint on pig and, at the end of the day, it's still a pig. Regardless of what they choose to call that part of the bill, it's still amnesty.

This week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Mexico to meet with their president, Vicente Fox. Relations between the U.S. and Mexico have been strained over this issue as of late. Fox believes that we should let anyone across the border and, to that end, his government has come up with an interesting solution---and it's a large part of the problem. In fact, several U.S. Congressmen are asking Rice to get tough with Fox and press the issue of border security. Why?

Mexico is now publishing a pamphlet that is a how-to guide on illegally entering the United States. No, really...here it is, in English and Spanish. Called the "Guide for the Migrant Mexican," the comic book style guide gives such good advice as:

To cross the river can be very risky, above all if you cross alone and at night.

Heavy clothing increases in weight when wet and this makes swimming and floating difficult.

If you cross by desert, try to walk at times when the heat will not be too intense.

Highways and population centers are far apart, which means you will spend several days looking for roads, and you will not be able to carry foodstuffs or water for long periods of time. Also, you can get lost.

Do not trust those who offer to take you to "the other side" and ask you to drive a car or to take or carry a package for them. Normally, those packages contain drugs or other prohibited substances. For this reason, many people have ended up in jail. To cross the river can be very risky, above all if you cross alone and at night.

Some who even claim to be from my own side of the aisle call this a "survival guide," and not a how-to manual, which is just ludicrous. Others have gone farther, suggesting that what we need is more tolerance in dealing with the situation. Survival guide? Tolerance?? Are they nuts? Enabling these criminal trespassers isn't going to solve the problem---the fact that they are entering the United States illegally. Instead of giving them survival tips for getting through the desert and telling cars to slow down so they don't hit them walking across the road, why not encourage them to enter the United States using a legal channel?

It's bad enough that some states are giving illegal aliens drivers licenses. Thankfully, states like Utah have figured out that's a bad idea and have repealed the law. (They still give them cards that allow driving privileges, but have revoked any form of an identification that can allow them to get plane tickets or a weapons permit.) They're not arresting the aliens which is what they ought to do, but at least they've taken this first, necessary step.

OK, diplomatic and legal entanglements aside, what else can the United States do to stop this potential threat? To start with, we can actually defend and enforce our borders. We simply don't have the personnel or resources to do this now. There are sections of our border that span for miles that are unprotected. Our CBP Border Patrol agents do a fantastic job, but there's just not enough of them to truly do the job and enforce our borders.

Second, instead of kid-gloving people who are in flagrant violation of the law, we ought to wrap them up and send their butts home. I don't care if they came here for work of if their not committing crimes now that they're here. The fact is if they came here illegally then they already broke the law to enter our country. I'm sure that many of these criminal trespassers are the nicest people on the planet. They don't deserve the right to live here if they predicate it upon a felony. If you're illegal, you get deported home and are barred from entering the United States for a period beginning with ten years. That's it. Forget "Promoting Compassion," let's promote America and the benefits of coming here legally.

Lastly, if we need to use our military to help secure and protect our borders, then that's exactly what we should do. We have the right to do it, and we have the means to do it--so that's exactly what we ought to consider doing. The President wants to control our borders? I tell you what---that's some border control, for sure.

Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, there have been many changes that have occurred under the auspices of "protecting the homeland," but not one of these improvements has taken the notion of border control seriously. Domestically, we've seen increased security at our airports and our government buildings and while that's a good first step, we seem to have stalled right there. Our borders remain unprotected and our ports remain largely unchecked--and that has to change. This is not about turning America into a police state. It's about ensuring the safety of our nation...and there can be no greater charge for an American president.

They're not "migrants," or "undocumented immigrants." They're illegal aliens--criminals--and it's time they were treated as such. It's also time the President and his administration got the message.

William Smith
ConservativeBlogger.com

Posted by WilliamSmith on March 13, 2005 02:09 PM to Conservative Blogger