Posted by Tina
Illegal immigration is making headlines again after a rancher in Arizona was murdered on his property a couple of weeks ago. The response from the local people was a mix of sadness and discouragement tainted with strong anger. They are angry that the federal government has failed to adequately address a problem that has plagued America’s Southwestern states for quite some time. Desperate for answers, the state of Arizona is close to passing a very strict enforcement law:
“Arizona passes strict illegal immigration act,” by Nicholas Riccardi – L.A. Times
Arizona lawmakers on Tuesday approved what foes and supporters agree is the toughest measure in the country against illegal immigrants, directing local police to determine whether people are in the country legally. ** The measure, long sought by opponents of illegal immigration, passed 35 to 21 in the state House of Representatives. ** The state Senate passed a similar measure earlier this year, and Republican Gov. Jan Brewer is expected to sign the bill. ** The bill’s author, State Sen. Russell Pearce, said it simply “takes the handcuffs off of law enforcement and lets them do their job.”
In an election year this issue is sure to bring some unusual posturing from legislators and a mass of protests from citizens on both sides. Look for the anti-enforcement crowd to cry racism…again! But this is not about race; it is a legal, security, and economic issue at both the local and national levels. The problems associated with accepting immigrants, whether legal or illegal, into our nation too quickly are nothing short of disastrous. The country will experience assimilation and social services problems that further explode busted budgets and will put pressure on a job market that is already in serious trouble:The situation is already bad enough as it is. At least twelve million illegal immigrants are in this country and eight million illegal aliens are in the American workforce. Additionally, our government issues 75,000 permanent work visas and 50,000 temporary work permits to foreign workers every single month. A recent census study found that one out of every six workers in this country is foreign born.
One of the unintended ramifications of offering amnesty is that it means we have accepted illegality as a norm, a norm that carries with it the promise of reward. Encouraging Illegal immigration ensures that it will continue making immigration laws nothing more than farce. This is exactly what has happened since granting amnesty during the Reagan administration. Yet our leaders have failed to learn that lesson, preferring instead to make it a political issue rather than an issue of legality and support for a strong nation of committed citizens. Our President has positioned himself to grantamnesty:
In a visit to Mexico, Pres. Barack Obama said he expects Amnesty legislation to be drafted in Congress this fall with debate beginning after the first of the year.
Will he be forced to push for amnesty prior to the election this coming November to counter and squash the Arizona law? The state of Arizona isn’t waiting for the debate to begin!