shot by SWAT teams one day after their visas expired."
Had to reprint that one. Ain't it the truth.
Posted on 02/01/2002 10:23:46 AM PST by Jagdgewehr
President Bush identified border security as one of the key areas of homeland defense in his State of the Union address this week.
So key, in fact, that his 2003 budget proposes to spend nearly $11 billion to deter those who would steal into the country by land, sea or air.
Much of that 25 percent increase in the overall border security budget is slated to go to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The agency is to bring a new entry-exit system on line to track the arrival and departure of non-U.S. citizens.
"This new system will dramatically improve our ability to deny access to those individuals who should not enter the United States," the White House promises, "while speeding the entry of routine, legitimate traffic."
Meanwhile, President Bush vows to round up non-U.S. citizens who entered the country legally, but who have overstayed their student, business or tourist visas.
"The INS estimates that 40 percent of people who are here illegally have overstayed their visas," the president noted in a speech last week in Portland, Maine. "And one of the things we want to make sure of is we find the 40 percent to make sure they're not part of some al-Qaeda network that wants to hit the United States."
That's great – as far as the president went.
But why stop at the 40 percent of illegals who've overstayed their visas? Why not go after the other 60 percent of illegals as well? The aliens who haven't overstayed visas because they never bothered to obtain them in the first place.
Yes, it particularly frightens that there are some 115,000 foreign nationals from Middle Eastern countries residing in the United States illegally (or quasi-legally in the cases of those seeking refugee status or political asylum).
But the INS should not concentrate exclusively on the 115,000 illegals from that part of the world, while ignoring the other 8.6 million illegals who hail from countries outside the Middle East.
For illegal immigration, in sum, is a threat to this nation's security. Particularly considering the recent Census Bureau report revealing that the population of undocumented immigrants in this country more than doubled during the 1990s.
The explosion of illegal immigration is a result of the United States government looking the other way as millions of foreign aliens brazenly violated our immigration laws.
And, even now, the federal government is not talking about about cracking down on all these foreign lawbreakers, but those who've overstayed their visas? And then, primarily, those who come from the Middle East.
There should be equal treatment of undocumented immigrants no matter what their country of origin. If a foreign national is in the United States unlawfully, he or she is a criminal. And the lawbreaker should be subject to deportation.
What we have now is government policy that tacitly decriminalizes illegal immigration. That actually rewards those who have infiltrated themselves within our borders (that is, unless they have the misfortune of being born in the Middle East).
Indeed, as recently as last summer, the president was hoping to offer amnesty – the White House preferred the term "permanent legal status" – to the 3 million Mexicans living illegally in the United States. The idea was scrapped after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
But that hasn't stopped states from moving forward with measures benefiting undocumented immigrants. Like the new California law that allows "undocumented" students to pay in-state fees at Cal State universities as well as state community colleges.
And just last month, the University of California regents voted to allow certain non-U.S. citizens to pay in-state tuition at the state's top universities.
So an undocumented immigrant who manages to enroll at one of the University of California's eight campuses would pay less than $4,000 a year in tuition. Yet, the son or daughter of one of the U.S. citizens who died at the World Trade Center or the Pentagon who enrolls at a University of California school would pay out-of-state tuition of roughly $15,000.
It doesn't make sense.
The president is talking about getting tough on immigrants in this country who overstay their visas. Meanwhile, California is getting soft on undocumented immigrants by offering them in-state college tuition rates.
So much for securing the homeland against foreign infiltrators.
California - The golden gateway in the erosion of America's security.
Time to "light up the border!"
Ignoring the breaking of countless laws by millions of illegal aliens swamping our nation makes a mockery of all laws.
If the INS was run like the BATF, aliens would be shot by SWAT teams one day after their visas expired.
This dual standard: killer SWAT teams for shotguns 1/4" too short here or too long there, but no enforcement at all of the laws broken daily by millions of foreign invaders makes a joke of all of our laws and is a prescription for lawlessness and anarchy.
Even if Bush moved in that direction, California (People's Republic of...) would continue to reward the unlawful trespassing by providing benefits courtesy of the California taxpayer.
Not to mention extending equal status with legal residents of the state/nation.
(understatement)
Well...yes and no.
The above mentioned problems with the state of California extending status and benefits equal to that of a legal resident is a "California problem".
However, the ease in which these individuals get across our borders is a national problem.
1 in 10 that are caught by INS are of middle eastern origin.
All yours! You want more guards at the Tijuana border, use California money.
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but, is not the Border Patrol/Customs federal agencies?
Would it not be in the nation's best interest to secure this section of the border?
Wrong! It's your problem too. I live in Texas, and we have illegals that cross the Rio grande. Most stay in Texas, cause it affords close proximity to Mexico. A substantial number move on to other states including: Kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida, Colorado, Oklahoma, and many others. It's your problem too!
Had to reprint that one. Ain't it the truth.
Maybe we should redefine the ATF's role then. As much as I hate those idiots, this might be their 'best and highest' use at the moment.
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