Illegal Aliens

We hear nothing from the politically correct media or Leftist pundits that ever mentions the world “alien.”  The preferred connotation is “illegal immigrant” or “undocumented immigrant.”  To enter into an honest conversation about this topic, we must understand who we are discussing.  So let’s look at unbiased definitions:

Alien or Immigrant

“An alien is someone who is a citizen of a foreign country. An alien is subject to host country laws regarding non-citizens (travel, employment, education, and residence).

These laws require registration and documentation defining their status while they are in the host country. A registered alien may be a temporary or permanent resident. In the United States, aliens are granted two types of visas: non immigrant or immigrant (permanent resident). Aliens may or may not have the right to work in the country, and may be legally allowed to live in the country for varying durations. Regardless of these restrictions and rights, an alien is not a citizen of the country. Therefore she does not have the rights that citizenship confers such as the right to vote, nor the responsibilities of citizenship, such as being subject to conscription (military draft).

An immigrant in a country is someone who has relocated there from another country. An immigrant may or may not be an alien. If the immigrant has applied for and received citizenship, then they are no longer an alien. Since the definition of immigration relates to the country of origin and the country of resettlement, the person would be considered an immigrant throughout their life because they relocated to a new country from their country of origin. However, as soon as the immigrant receives citizenship, they are not an alien any more.”

By definition, all who enter the United States illegally — either from our southern border, northern border, or any other port of entry — are (without formal documentation that authorizes their presence) “illegal aliens.”  Note the word “illegal.”  American founders would all shudder to know that the United States Government has for years winked at the millions of illegal aliens allowed to enter the country.  Remember:  illegal.  How in good conscious can any legitimate country carelessly allow millions of lawbreakers not only to enter almost at will, but encourage them to enter?  That has paved the way for illegal aliens to enter into and enjoy with NO accountability to the U.S. system. Taxpayers finance the entire lifestyles of most of these illegal aliens.  That funding amounts may never be known for sure.  But it totals in the billions of dollars.  That may shock you until you think through benefits offered with virtually no restrictions:  housing subsidies, food subsidies, free education, free healthcare, free cell phone and cell phone usage, transportation subsidies.  A family of 6 illegal aliens can enter the U.S. and immediately receive approximately $40,000 a year in total, comprised of actual value of the aforementioned benefits and government cash assistance.  Why have we allowed this to happen and actually in many cases encouraged it?  Here are some of the reasons given by many (or excuses if you prefer):

1.  Humanitarian reasons.  No doubt many of these come from poor countries with horrid economic and political situations that are genuinely looking for a better way of life.  Those in the U.S. who espouse this as justification mention that America owes this opportunity to the impoverished people of the World.  But think that through:  according to the World Bank, there are 3.5 Billion people on Earth who make less than $200 per month.  No doubt that is horrible.  But let’s do the math:  the U.S. already allows legal immigration to 1 million aliens a year.  If the U.S. doubled that number, we would be inviting just .0058% of those on Earth who make $200 a month or less.  That does NOT take into account population growth.  As World population explodes this battle to eradicate poverty each year becomes even more impossible to achieve.  But what is staggering is what doing so does to the United States.  We do not have the infrastructure that can accommodate such a rapid growth.
2. Illegal Aliens help drive the U.S. economy.  They do jobs that Americans won’t do; they pay taxes;  they spend money domestically that rolls over up to 5 times as revenue to American businesses.  All these and even more are reasons given to justify the wholesale legitimization of illegal aliens.  This narrative is false.  Suppose there are just 13 million illegal aliens in residence in the U.S.  Assume 3 million of them are working in the system legitimately, paying taxes, and spending earnings in the U.S.  Based on the fact that a family of 6 draws $40,000 per year in American dollars in various benefits, taxpayers are spending in direct costs $67 Billion per year more than is actually being contributed to the U.S. economy through normal financial practices.  This number does NOT consider the indirect costs that are intrinsic just because of the added increase in population.   I’ve heard estimates as high as $150 Billion in added costs for illegal aliens.
3. Wholesale Voting Block.  You will NOT hear anyone on the Left discussing this.  Democrats have taken this process as their “cause,” using it for political purposes.  Hispanics in the mid to late 20th century were on the most part Conservatives — at least most of those who immigrated to the U.S. from South and Central America and Mexico.  They came to the U.S. for financial reasons, too.  But the difference is they came looking for “opportunity,” not just a free ride.  I am NOT saying all or even most come for a free ride at all, so please don’t get your hackles up at me.  What I am stating IS factual.  Hispanic people have always been very family oriented, always hard working, always religious, generous, and thoughtful people.  I am NOT in any way denigrating any Hispanic in this discussion.  I am merely stating that the reasons for coming to the U.S. from Central and South America and Mexico are not necessarily the same as in that 20th Century period.  The mindset that would allow someone to justify breaking the laws of the country that you wish to move to is not always a mindset of “doing the right thing.”   Many make the move to the U.S. as a way to cheat life and are looking for a shortcut to the cure for their economic woes.  Democrats and other Leftists look at the Hispanics as a voting block, knowing that if their Party is viewed by Hispanics as being the Americans who are willing  to look the other way regarding these illegal aliens, those aliens when able to vote,  will pull the lever of the Party that opened the gate for their illegal entry.  And Democrats need Hispanics to join that voting block to join the African American block the Dems already claim as theirs.  It is a shame that any Americans look at any persons or populace as votes and little more.  Don’t misunderstand me:  there are many Democrats and Republicans who support wholesale immigrants — illegals and legal — and believe the U.S. Government should simply open the gates and let any and all in.  But the bulk of the support for this on the Left come from Democratic leadership fishing for votes.

What’s the Answer?

There is NO easy answer.   Our forefathers established America as a nation of laws.  In setting up the government and establishing laws for the country, they were guided by the backwards way laws were implemented and enforced in Europe.  And they ran to America to get away from that process.  They created a law making process to assure all citizens in the New World that this government would create and implement only those laws that were wanted and needed AS DECIDED BY THE CITIZENS AND NOT THE RULING CLASS.  Through two+ centuries, circumstances have dictated the need for changes in laws.  That process was put into the Constitution.  In the last several Presidential administrations it has become commonplace for a President to ignore that lawmaking process and issue Executive Orders which in essence ignore Congressional passed laws implementing new laws are revising those previously legally passed.

To further complicate this, our last President selectively instructed his Justice Department to ignore certain federal laws that he did not like or thought unfair and to not enforce those:  like marijuana laws, illegal entry into the U.S., and others.  Immigration laws are some of those that he refused to support and instructed his Attorney General to NOT prosecute those who broke any of those laws.  He basically erased the southern border of the United States allowing whoever wanted in into the U.S.

The answer to the illegal alien issue in the U.S. is relatively simple in part:  enforce existing law.  That is what the Constitution demands of the American people.  Not doing so is simply trampling on the blood of all those Americans who in the American Revolution gave their lives for the freedom to live here free and the blood of those who have fought and died since to keep that freedom alive.  I am ashamed to have lived in an America where any President felt breaking any federal law was OK and that he was justified to simply choose to not enforce the laws passed by the duly elected representatives of the people.  The President needs to not only have his Attorney General enforce laws, he needs to assure Americans all laws will be continually enforced until Congress — the only law making entity in the federal government — either changes those laws or makes new ones.

Immigration laws are no different.  Part of the consequences of ignoring enforcement for so many years of those laws is that we have millions of illegals among us.  Each in that position has broken the law.  There must be consequences to pay.  There are specific consequences in U.S. law for being here illegally.  The Feds must immediately begin enforcement of those laws including consequences or must CHANGE THE LAW.

Americans are tired of watching our freedoms taken away by our government little by little.  We have just one message to Washington D.C. today:  DO YOUR JOB….ENFORCE THE LAW!