Posted on 11/13/2004 11:23:04 AM PST by forest
One would think that "standing up for a stronger, more secure nation" would also include protecting our borders against the massive onslaught of illegal aliens and tons of illegal drugs entering with near impunity. Unfortunately, that is not the case at all.
The federal government talks of terrorism. Well, when American citizens are not able to walk the streets of major cities because gangs of illegal aliens, not police, control those streets, we class that as terrorism.
That came about, of course, because of the negligence of the central government. Our country's borders have major holes through which thousands of illegal aliens walk daily. The central government (Clinton administration) found it easier to bother all Americans with presenting documentation than to protect our borders. The Clinton administration also insured that the government provides illegals free medical treatment, education and welfare -- at the expense of all legal American citizens. Today, many illegal aliens attend universities for less money than American citizens are required to pay. They are, of course, subsidized by the American taxpayer.
There was a time, back in my distant memory, that when a bureaucrat came upon illegal aliens they would have them apprehended and deported. The same laws are still on the books. But, apparently those laws no longer need to be obeyed by anyone.
Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has the responsibility for enforcing immigration laws in the nation's interior. But, ICE only has 2,300 agents for interior enforcement. Those agents are tasked with finding some 80,000 criminal aliens wandering our nation's streets, plus another 320,000 foreign nationals known as 'absconders' who fled after being ordered deported. Unfortunately, there are no federal officials bothering to round up the other few million illegal immigrants permanently squatting here and sucking up our tax dollars in services.
According to authorities, over 1.2 million people attempt to cross U.S. borders illegally each year -- that they know about. Many of them are OTMs (Other than Mexicans). No one knows how many are potential terrorists, just that some are.
Mexican President Vicente Fox is no friend of the people of the United States. He heads one of the most corrupt governments in the world and even his police and military are involved in smuggling illegal drugs into our country. Now he's demanding that our federal government give amnesty to over 3 million illegal aliens living in the United States. Meanwhile, Mexico continues acting like a very bad neighbor.
Now comes the amnesty debate again. Because they were able to violate our laws without getting caught, President Bush plans to reward a few million illegals with permission to stay here longer -- or maybe permanently. Such action is very wrong. It sends a signal to Americans, as well as all people of the world, that federal laws are arbitrary and capricious. Because, when it becomes acceptable for one whole class of people to willfully violate our laws when they find it to their personal benefit, that same type of consideration must then be extended to everyone in this country, plus anyone else who can sneak in.
Illegal aliens are already a permanent underclass. Out of the many millions illegally in this country, tens of thousands are packing our prisons, tens of thousands more are involved in organized drug crime and/or street gangs and a few million others are on welfare. Yet another problem is that they do not even bother to learn our language and customs. Worse yet, a large segment of that population is actually scheming to break off a chunk of our country for their own.
Why would we want to allow them to stay?
All illegals should be arrested and put in jail. Or, there not being enough room in our prison system for all these lawbreakers, they should be shipped back to Southern Mexico, where it is a long walk back to the U.S. border. After all, if American citizens are expected to obey federal law, most certainly all foreigners must. Either that, or, we all get to violate federal laws with impunity.
Another problem is those in and out of government conspiring to help illegal aliens enter this country and function while here. According to federal law, these people should also be arrested and imprisoned. The law is clear on that, too. For instance:
18 USC 3 makes accessory after the fact a felony: "Whoever, knowing that an offense against the United States has been committed, receives, relieves, comforts or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment, is an accessory after the fact."
It stands to reason that aiding or employing an illegal alien would amount to comforting and assisting the offender and that not reporting the illegal alien would amount to aiding in the prevention of apprehension. And so it is.
Because, now comes 18 USC 4, the misprision of felony law: "Whoever, having knowledge of the actual commission of a felony cognizable by a court of the United States, conceals and does not as soon as possible make known the same to some judge or other person in civil or military authority under the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."
This could lead one to believe that everyone would be required under the law to turn in any illegal aliens, like pronto. Else, one can get up to three years free room and board in the hoosegow.
For information on the extent of the illegal alien problem see Issue #313 (and references)[1]. Last week KVOA Television in Tucson, AZ reported on "Return to Terrorist Alley"[2] which is also very enlightening.
Clearly, a great deal more needs to be done to protect our nation. Giving amnesty to flagrant lawbreakers does nothing to protect our national security. It only compounds the problem.
1. <http://www.uhuh.com/reports/headsup/fron313.htm>
2. <http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=2545055&nav=HMO5SxCd>
Terrorism - (n.)Gangs of illegal aliens controlling our streets.
Thanks, Bill Clinton, for that tax burden.
ICE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; new interior force.
ICE only has 2,300 agents to find some 400,000 criminal aliens and absconders.
Over 1.2 million illegals hit our borders each year. Many are OTMs (Other than Mexicans) and terrorists.
Mexican President Vicente Fox is no friend. His government is totally corrupt.
Amnesty reflects weakness.
Illegal aliens run drugs, reject our customs, plan cession, control streets and overload prisons and welfare.
18 USC 3 makes accessory after the fact a felony.
18 USC 4, the misprision of felony law, requires reporting.
Save America bump!
I'm probably one of the most pro-immigration folks on free republic, but I agree that a blanket amnesty is wrong. Such an amnesty gives the wrong longer-term incentive--wait long enough and you'll be legalized. The better alternative is something along the lines of Bush's guest worker program or (my favorite) larger legal immigration limits for countries in the western hemisphere (particularly South America where countries like Venezuela are being destroyed by their radical leftist government and we have an opportunity to let in numbers of educated and, if given citizenship, likely Republican ;-) voters) matched with stricter enforcement policies for illegal aliens aimed, not at the aliens (which doesn't seem to do much) but the people who employ them.
Just my two cents.
ping
Why limit your generosity to hispanics? Why not Poles, Germans, Asians, Brtitish, etc?
Bush's plan will never work and cause more problems then it tries to solve.
Great question.
This is the way he thanks us for giving him a mandate.
ping
Our duly elected representatives should be impeached and removed for not doing the will of the people in moving forward with legislation needed to strictly enforce our immigration laws. The process is a time consuming process and this is because it is important that we know who is legal and who is not. If we end up re-populating the Halls Of Congress in the process so much the better.
The legal citizens are increasingly over burdened with excessive taxation that is tantamount to what this country's original Patriots faced with "No Taxation without Representation"! We simply cannot afford this outrageous out of control festering wound we are forced to endure. For those too dense to get on the first pass; If a Employer knowingly hires a Criminal Illegal Alien they are subject to a fine of at least $25,000 and a mandentory 10 Year Prison Sentence!
Andn how do you propose to keep track of the "guest workers"? Unless there's strict monitoring and enforcement action once their stay is up, it will just turn into another channel for illegal immigration (or rather, legal immigration followed by an illegal stay.)
You're exactly right that the policy is "wait long enough and you'll be legalized." This was probably Reagan's worst mistake, and it may well be Dubya's as well.
I'm not against immigration, and I think we need to take another look at the standards we use to let people in here legally, but if you want to come, come legally and learn English as quickly as possible.
Welcome to America. Now speak English.
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