Editorial: Addressing the border crisis

Los Angeles Times ^ | July 6, 2014 | Editorial

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Tens of thousands of Central American children, some accompanied by adults but most traveling alone, have surged across the U.S.-Mexican border in recent months. The flood has swamped the border security infrastructure as well as the youth housing facilities maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Washington can, and should, try to stop illegal immigration at the border, but it would be wiser, and more humane, to find ways to stabilize the communities from which immigrants are running. Any solutions must come with the full involvement and engagement of the governments of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico, a challenge given the endemic corruption in those governments. But the U.S. is in the best position to bring the players together and forge the strategic, regional approach to ending this humanitarian crisis.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

[Travis McGee]

[Gaffer]

Washington can, and should, try to stop illegal immigration at the border, but it would be wiser, and more humane, to find ways to stabilize the communities from which immigrants are running.

What once were considered Guardians of the country's conscience and supposed bastions of open information and truth. Give me a break. We are completely infested with ideological zealots who take great pleasure in destroying traditional American values and morals.

Shakespeare's (sometimes misinterpreted) line about lawyers should be changed to Journalists in my opinion.

[Paine in the Neck]

An open letter to the GOP Members of Congress

As a Representative or Senator in Congress, you took this Oath:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

"Support and defend the Constitution" it says. Did you see that? That document, in turn, requires, per Art.4, S.4, that

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence."

An invasion is what we are suffering. That invasion has accelerated with each "comprehensive immigration reform" previously enacted. Instead of another disastrous reform that yet again increases the incentives for millions more to try their luck crossing the southern border, a Member of Congress who took his Oath and the Constitution seriously would be pressing for what the American people have repeatedly said they want - not what Senators Schumer and McCain, Mark Zuckerberg, Mexico, some border state farmers and homebuilders or the Chamber of Commerce rent-seekers want. That is:

1. secure the border in a transparently verifiable way;
2. end the anchor-baby interpretation of the 14th Amendment;
3. enforce eVerify without exception and with severe penalties;
4. end chain migration - entry per individual qualifications, not family ties;
5. deportation upon contact with any law enforcement agency - federal, state or local
6. no government benefits beyond critical emergency care (and that ought to be billed back to the home government); and
7. NO "Path to Citizenship" - EVER - for anyone who has entered the US illegally.

Any measure that does not accomplish these things is unacceptable. It is de facto amnesty. And it will inevitably, ineluctably encourage millions and millions more illegal entries.

If the GOP is complicit in this amnesty fiasco, either by taking up the Senate bill or through some piecemeal slight of hand with a series of House bills such as we hear are being cooked up of late, or as riders on other necessary legislation, the GOP will cease to exist. It will not survive through the 2016 elections. The people will shun the over-tanned, glad-handing, backslapping quislings and look elsewhere for leaders who actually have the spine for the fight. Make no mistake - to me and to many, many others, amnesty is the GOP's Rubicon. Cross it at your electoral peril.

[x1stcav]

Semmens at his best.

I waiting for it. Right about now...

The call for American tax-payers to pony up more money.

Yes! That’s the solution.

John, you are the master of satire.

[BitWielder1]

Any solutions must come with the full involvement and engagement of the governments of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico...

Good luck with that, since they are all too happy shipping their problems to US, in exchange for more $$$ if they can.

[Jim Noble]

Any solutions must come with the full involvement and engagement of the governments of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico

Why?

[p. henry]

They are not asylum seekers. They are driven by opportunism, not fear. Based on UN statistics, homicide rates in these countries (except for Honduras) declined from 2009 to 2012. What has changed is our policy and their knowledge of it. The 2002 legislation which prevents the immediate return of these people to their country did not draw them until Obama instituted his Dreamer policy. Then they came, secure in the knowledge that they would be released into our communities and then later be able to claim Dreamer status. Change the 2002 law and Obama’s Dreamer policy and they will not come.

[Jim Noble]

end the anchor-baby interpretation of the 14th Amendment

I really don't think it's an "interpretation", it's a simple literal reading of the text.

Undoubtedly, it is contrary to intent, but when the authors are dead, the text they left behind has to rule.

Anyone who can be detained by agents of the United States, brought before a magistrate, suffer penalties prescribed by law including confinement and forfeiture is, beyond a doubt, "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States.

[umgud]

No more birthright citizenship.
No more EITC (welfare) to non-citizens.
Reduce chain migration.
No public assistance to non citizens.
No more catch and release.
Cut off all the magnets.
Throw out all politicians supporting illegals.

[dalebert]

most of these are not kids..and I think the picture is from a year or two back. still, it gives a good idea of the mix. we are probably recieveing many gang members or wanna be gang members..hide your kids.

[Vaduz]

Obama&Co free ride train voter list grows by 300,000.

[CharlesWayneCT]

everything this administration does is political.

I think the images of protesters blocking buses of children and holding signs against “immigrants” is exactly what they want, because it looks ugly and will enrage parts of the hispanic community.

So now they’ve stirred up the female base with the “Supreme Court has taken away your contraceptives, and hispanics with “conservatives are protesting your children”.

All that is left is the hammer to drop on some black person so they can make that all about the GOP being racists.

They may not have anything left to play with gays since so many courts are ruling for them anyway. But they are clever politically even if they can’t do a thing to actually run a country.

[Pontiac]

The flood has swamped the border security infrastructure as well as the youth housing facilities maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services. Washington can, and should, try to stop illegal immigration at the border, but it would be wiser, and more humane, to find ways to stabilize the communities from which immigrants are running.

Wow!

Isn’t this the paper that excoriated GW Bush for his nation building efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq?

So here they go pushing for the US to meddle in the internal affairs of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.

[reefdiver]

How do you stabilize that neighborhood?

[Foundahardheadedwoman]

Agreed. Why anyone would believe it would do any good to throw more money into these cesspools is beyond me. Same stupid deal here. Those that voted for Zero are starting to feel the sting, that is a good thing, just wish they hadn’t taken the rest of us with them to banana republic status.

[Gen.Blather]

“Washington can, and should, try to stop illegal immigration at the border, but it would be wiser, and more humane, to find ways to stabilize the communities from which immigrants are running.”

He might as well have written “solve all of the world’s problems.” These countries are failed states, like Chicago and Detroit are failed cities. They are the result of the kind of corruption you get from socialist governments. Is he suggesting we go in, take them over and spend bottomless pit’s worth of money? Or, do we just send the infinite amount of money to their corrupt leaders?

[Travis McGee]

[Oldeconomybuyer]

How do you stabilize that neighborhood?

We can't. But the LA Times editorial board had to fill Sunday space and will never actually demand a solution from their "Magic Negro".

[Gaffer]

Apparently, these zealots who have a problem with actions, say, like Iraq have a problem going in there to make things better by use of force, have absolutely no problem going into a irredeemable crap hole with boxcar loads of cash, stolen at the point of a gun from honest working (tax paying) Americans.