A Letter to FOX Fans from Rep. Tom Tancredo:We have American combat troops in far off lands because, as the President has said, we are fighting terrorists there so that we do not have to fight them here. I strongly support him in this effort.
The problem is that hundreds of terrorists are already here and thousands more are seeking a way to get here. They enter with fraudulent papers and with approved visas. They can also enter illegally through our Swiss cheese borders. Hundreds of miles of our border have nothing but a cattle fence.
Our 10,000 Border Patrol agents are heroes in my book: They are doing the best they can but are woefully undermanned. We need to use the U.S. Military to augment our Border Patrol until their numbers can be doubled to 20,000.
"We are not talking about a new bridge in someone's district or a bigger subsidy for some favored voting bloc. We are talking about the survival of the Republic."
I have attended the funeral of a 26-year-old U.S. Park Service Ranger, Kris Eggle, who was slain 100 yards inside the Arizona - Mexico border by Mexican criminals who crossed the border in a vehicle without difficulty.
I have met the widow of a slain Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy, David March, who was slain by a Mexican criminal who had already been deported twice but came back easily because of our porous borders.
I continue to ask why the leaders of cities like Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and Phoenix prohibit cooperation with Immigration enforcement agencies when over 106,000 illegal alien felons remain at large in our country.
It is outrageous that our borders remain porous in this perilous time. Our Congress and our President must stop paying only lip service to strengthening the Border Patrol.
It is the singular responsibility of the federal government to do everything necessary to protect the citizenry of this nation. We are not doing that.
If any political figure says that securing the border cannot or should not be our first priority, they are going AWOL in the war on terror. Whether they are pandering for votes from the immigrant community or simply fear the discomfort of taking politically incorrect positions, they do not belong in positions of authority.
Besides the national security aspects of this situation, millions of Americans are losing jobs and suffering lower wages because of this massive flood of cheap labor coming across our borders.
People often ask me, "What can I do to turn the tide and persuade lawmakers to fulfill their Constitutional duties?" There are two things you can do.
First, you should write or call President Bush and tell him to make border security and immigration law enforcement his top priority.
Second, you can help me support and elect public officials who will uphold the Constitution and secure our borders. You can do this by going to my web site at Together we can make a difference.
I am willing to take the heat for leading this effort because the stakes are so high. We are not talking about a new bridge in someone's district or a bigger subsidy for some favored voting bloc. We are talking about the survival of the Republic.