What Do We Do?

There are a reported 5000-10,000 Central American people just north of the Guatemala-Mexico border in a caravan headed toward the U.S. southern border. Their intention is to storm the U.S. border to gain entry into the United States. Think about that: a large group of foreigners is planning to en masse enter the U.S. illegally in hopes to obtain permanent residence. (See the Summary below for final comments about the “immigration caravan)

If you put that fact in the context of the first 150-years of United States history, it certainly would be viewed as an unbelievable paradox: “an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises.” Just imagine how American leaders during the first century of this nation would have treated this move from the South: they would certainly have viewed it as an attempt to invade our sovereign nation, and therefore would have taken defensive actions to counter it — even military actions.

In the circumstances currently controlling the U.S., what are the American options?

• Close the southern border;
• Pressure Mexico and Central American countries to stop immigrants before they get to the U.S. border;
• Legislatively (in Congressional emergency session) fix the immigration system.

What are the ramifications and possibilities of each? What Do We Do?

The Past: Americans Facing Illegal Immigration

• Senator Bernie Sanders in 2015: “When you have 36 percent of Hispanic kids in this country who can’t find jobs, and you bring a lot of unskilled workers into this country, what do you think happens to that 36 percent of kids who are today unemployed? Fifty-one percent of African-American kids? I don’t think there’s any presidential candidate, none, who thinks we should open up the borders,” said Sanders.
• Senator Chuck Schumer when asked his stance on changes in immigration: “I support further securing our borders; prohibiting hiring of undocumented immigrants by requiring job applicants to present a secure Social Security card; creating jobs by attracting the world’s best and brightest to America, and keeping them here; requiring undocumented immigrants to register with the government, pay taxes, and earn legal [status or face deportation.]” Source: League of Women Voters 2010 Candidate Questionnaire , Aug 11, 2010.
• Senator Schumer’s 2010 stance on Sanctuary Cities and regulation of Immigration: “To create a reserve fund to ensure that Federal assistance does not go to sanctuary cities that ignore the immigration laws of the United States and create safe havens for illegal aliens.

  

• The border wall opinions of Dems including then-Senator Obama:  As a senator, Barack Obama once offered measured praise for the border control legislation that would become the basis for one of Donald Trump’s first acts as president. “The bill before us will certainly do some good,” Obama said on the Senate floor in October 2006. He praised the legislation, saying it would provide “better fences and better security along our borders” and would “help stem some of the tides of illegal immigration in this country.” Obama was talking about the Secure Fence Act of 2006, legislation authorizing a barrier along the southern border passed into law with the support of 26 Democratic senators including party leaders like Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Chuck Schumer.
• Senator Dick Durbin, who says President Trump’s use of the term “chain migration,” is offensive and racist to black Americans, said something entirely different PREVIOUSLY about Chain Migration. In 2010, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) advocated on the Senate floor for ending the process known as “chain migration,” whereby newly naturalized citizens can bring an unlimited number of foreign relatives to the U.S., a term that he now claims insinuates racism. While asking Congress to pass the expansive and failed “DREAM Act” amnesty, which would start by legalizing millions of illegal aliens, Durbin touted the fact that the legislation at the time would have ended chain migration, preventing newly amnestied illegal aliens from bringing their extended family members to the U.S. “The DREAM Act would not allow what is known as chain migration,” Durbin said. “In fact, DREAM Act students would have very limited ability to sponsor their family members for legal status.”

When one reads the above bullet points from America’s recent political past regarding illegal immigration, it is impossible to believe this entire story is NOT setup strictly for political purposes. At this point, it is fruitless to point fingers to place blame on who is responsible for the obvious travesties that have been perpetrated in the American immigration system. What we need are some REAL answers, REAL plans, and REAL implementation with REAL accountability. It IS safe (and accurate) to say that illegal immigration laws and their lack of enforcement can be put at the feet of Presidents Obama, Bush 43, Clinton, Bush 41, and Reagan. These presidents during the collective 28 years of their presidencies each claimed an intense desire and commitment to tackle illegal immigration during their administrations — NONE DID SO. They each were against illegal immigration during campaigns for initial election but did nothing to stop it during their administrations.

Who is going to do that?

The answer to that question is simpler than you may think: the only ones that CAN do anything about it are those in the United States Congress — unless you toss the Justice Department into that basket with Congress. You see, there are plenty of immigration laws on the books that previous congresses have passed and were signed into law. The exclusive problem at our southern border is a product not of just laws, but the enforcement of existing laws. The Justice Department is woefully inadequate in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.

The hands of border patrol agents are tied; ICE agents are prohibited from taking all actions necessary to seal the southern border and bring offenders to justice for illegal entry; illegals have learned (primarily from smugglers) that U.S. border immigration courts are covered up with cases and that those courts cannot possibly process all illegal crossing perpetrators, which means those waiting for court dates are allowed into general population in the U.S. and are seldom prosecuted later. Congress refuses to provide the necessary funding to even make a dent in the illegal immigration problem that initiates at our border with Mexico. There are not nearly enough Border Patrol agents, ICE agents, immigration courts and immigration judges, holding and detention centers for illegals while they are processed, and the “big one:” funds to build the border wall.

Congress can do all of the above. And this President has given Congress the framework for an immigration bill that would do ALL of the above. But apparently, there are not enough members of Congress — Republican and Democrat — who have the political will to support President Trump in doing what he promised voters during his campaign and that American citizens largely support: stop illegal immigration by first closing our southern border. A BORDER WALL!

The Border Wall

Globalization was supposed to tear down barriers, but security fears and a widespread refusal to help migrants and refugees have fuelled a new spate of wall-building across the world, with a third of the world’s countries constructing them along their borders. When the Berlin Wall was torn down a quarter-century ago, there were 16 border fences around the world. Today, there are 65 either completed or under construction, according to Quebec University expert Elisabeth Vallet.

From Israel’s separation barrier (or ‘apartheid wall’ as it is known by the Palestinians), to the 2,500-mile barbed-wire fence India is building around Bangladesh, to the enormous sand ‘berm’ that separates Morocco from rebel-held parts of Western Sahara – walls and fences are ever-more popular with politicians wanting to look tough on migration and security.

In July, Hungary’s right-wing government began building a four-meter-high (13 feet) fence along its border with Serbia to stanch the flow of refugees from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. ‘We have only recently taken down walls in Europe; we should not be putting them up,’ was one EU spokesperson’s exasperated response.

Three other countries – Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey – are all constructing border fences in a bid to keep out jihadist groups next door in Somalia, Iraq, and Syria. Seven miles of the barrier have already been erected along the border at Reyhanli town in Hatay province – the main point for smuggling and border-crossing from Syria – the private Dogan news agency said. The fence in Turkey will eventually stretch for 28 miles along a key stretch of its border with Syria. But the Turkish wall pales into insignificance when compared to the multi-layered fence which will one day stretch 600 miles from Jordan to Kuwait along Saudi’s border with Iraq – a line of defense against ISIS.

There is no doubt that border walls do not absolutely stop those who live on one side wanting to get to the other side. And somehow some will always be successful. But when one objective considers that 65 countries either have or are building walls on their borders to stop illegal entry into their countries, there are obvious reasons and benefits for governments and their citizens to spend the huge national resources necessary for doing so.

No doubt the U.S. border with Mexico presents tremendous security challenges, and that a traditional brick-and-mortar wall does not make sense for part of that border. But a significant portion of it (according to experts) could be closed with a traditional wall. And that in combination with electronic surveillance and aviation security measures that are available, the U.S. could basically shut down the border and begin to improve our existing legal immigration process to better serve legal immigrants AND the American citizens already here.

Don’t Americans deserve that from our government? Is it unfair or callous for Americans to expect our government to enforce American laws? And if those laws are outdated, unjust, unfair and need to be changed, is it unfair for Americans to expect Congress to amend existing laws or implement new more appropriate immigration laws and the President to sign those new or amended statutes into law? Isn’t that what politicians ALL say when campaigning: “The most important role of a member of Congress is to first keep Americans safe?”

March 3, 2017

On this day, the TruthNewsNetwork (TNN) offered a realistic and workable framework for a plan to fix our illegal immigration process. The offered plan is a skeleton that would need a lot of “tweaks” and adjustments applicable to each impacted state, but it would be a tremendous starting point. I thought it beneficial to reprint just the bullet-point framework today:

• Illegal Immigrants are granted a 12-month window to “get legal.” That “get legal” means this: they voluntarily register themselves and any family members with U.S. Immigration or Homeland Security.  This registration is simply the demographic and identity details for application into this “get legal” program.  Upon registration, they will then begin a formal “revised” 5-year application for U.S. citizenship.  This process includes the current requirements for citizenship plus a penalty payment of $2500 per illegal family member to be paid during this 5 year period along with normal income taxes due to federal, state, and local municipalities as applicable.  To be accepted into this program, they must provide proof of employment sufficient to support all those who are part of each application.
• Upon completion of this process, each is eligible for U.S. citizenship on the same basis as those who have entered the U.S. legally who go through the normal immigration process.  If any registrants do not complete the process including payment of the penalty payment, they will immediately be processed for deportation and will not be eligible for re-entry into the U.S.
• “Dreamers” (who are those who were brought here illegally by their parents) will be given a similar opportunity:  they will receive a 12-month window to “get legal.”  They will go through the same 5-year application process for U.S. citizenship but will not be obligated for payment of a penalty.  Upon completion of this process, each is eligible for U.S. citizenship on the same basis as those illegals above and also those who have taken the path of legal immigration.  If any Dreamers do not complete the process they will immediately be processed for deportation and will not be eligible for re-entry into the U.S.
• Any illegals that fail to register in this immigration process during the 12-month period will be as they are identified processed for deportation immediately and will not be eligible for re-entry into the U.S.
• Any illegals that do NOT complete the 5-year application process will be immediately processed for deportation and will not be eligible for re-entry into the U.S.
• This process applies to ALL illegals, including men, women, and children.
• After the initiation of this program, any U.S. employer who employs any illegals who do not have proof of entry into the 5-year application process will be assessed a $25,000 fine per illegal in their employment.  A second offense of such carries a $50,000 fine per illegal. Third offense and any subsequent offense carries a $100,000 fine per illegal and termination of their Federal Tax ID Number, which is required for businesses to operate legally in the U.S.
• This system will be costly. But after a burdensome startup, revenue generated from legalizing these immigrants, getting them into the system in which they pay taxes, work and create legitimate income that goes into the U.S. economy, financial benefits will more than take care of the startup expense.
• While U.S. Immigration will be charged with overall supervision of the program, this will be implemented and managed at the state level.  Funds for doing so will come through federal block grants to the states.  Each state’s immigration issues are not identical to other states, therefore states know better how to manage this process than the federal government.  Any state found to be non-compliant with any and all process guidelines that must be in this program will not only lose their block grants but will be subject to further financial penalties in other monies paid to them by the federal government.

Summary

That caravan full of illegals headed from Central America through Mexico to the U.S. prompted this story today. Have you wondered who is “driving that ship,” who is funding the 5000-7000 immigrants for that 2000-mile journey? Think about this: they all must eat, they all have biological functions that must be met, (primarily bathroom obligations) there are many children in the entourage and medical necessities along the way. SOMEONE IS FOOTING THE BILL!

Many think whoever is initiating and funding this trip are trying to impact the U.S. midterm elections — primarily in a negative way for conservatives running for office. But every day that objective becomes more and more unbelievable. Why? Do the math:

A good bike rider could travel 50 miles per day. Walking, an aggressive goal would be 20-25 miles per day. At that rate, the caravan can be expected to arrive at the nearest point of the southern U.S. border in 50-60 days. If there is an expectation of funders of the caravan of any significant border-conflict situation to occur before or during those midterm elections set for 13 days from today, there is no way that will be accomplished.

There must be some other reason or reasons for this caravan (and the other one that has just formed behind the first).

You know what: there are probably a dozen possibilities for the reasons and the timing for this caravan’s move north. Sadly, I seriously doubt that any of those reasons are legitimately to help Central and South American immigrants escape dangerous and unbearable circumstances in the countries they are coming from. They have been sold a pipedream of a “land of honey” in the U.S. where there is a government with open arms that will not only take them in, but house them, feed them, medicate them, educate them, and pay them to live in America.

Who could be painting such a rosey picture for those immigrants?

It could be smugglers, human traffickers, and drug cartels who see these immigrants as goods to be traded and targets, too. It could be rogue branches of governments from those countries who are using the pie-in-the-sky dream of the “easy life” to get rid of many of their poor and possible criminal citizens.

It could be members of the Mexican and Central American immigration specialists who see the U.S. as a hot-bed of financial opportunity for Latinos and who know American laws are certainly going to be changed or at least tightened up in the Trump Administration. And they see their honey-pot of fortune about to be shut down.

Whoever the source and whatever their reason, you can bet they are not driven by trying to give those immigrants to a better life as their motives.

What’s saddest in this entire story is it is doubtful that anyone in the United States that is in anyway supporting this caravan that on its own is putting the lives of thousands of immigrants at risk everyday is doing so for the purpose of helping these immigrants.

Sadly, the greed of human nature is driving this boat.

Also sadly, the reason the American border after 28 years of presidents who each had a good opportunity to fix this issue (and who at some point in their administrations had the legislative support to do so) did not take care of the problem.

That’s not an immigrant problem. That problem is purely an American political problem.

And it is certainly politically driven — as is almost everything of importance in Washington.

It’s certainly NOT “government of the People, by the People, and for the People.” It’s for political POWER!

 

 

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