The immigration threat can come from within
A proposal of amnesty does nothing to make our country safer. It does nothing to make it easier for legal residents to find a job. And it is fiscally irresponsible. So, exactly why would we do this?
Is it safe now to talk about illegal immigration in terms of national security and fiscal prudence?
For some time, we have heard from pro-amnesty forces that the issue of illegal immigration dealt solely with people who are afraid to come out from the shadows...
But now, sadly, Boston has shown us what the truth can be, and how violent it can be.
The Tsarnaev brothers, accused mass murderers in Boston, were in this country by legitimate means...
Let us also remember that one of the hijackers on Sept. 11, 2001 was present legally on a student visa. Worse, two of the hijackers on that day received notification of their student visa approval long after their deaths... the problems still persist.
...What proponents of amnesty suggest is that illegal aliens will not be eligible for social benefits. That promise would require increased diligence from a system that has proven to be ineffective with its current tasks...
As tragic as the Boston situation was, it also served as instruction into what is wrong with our system. Asylum rules are obviously lax...
...Nearly half of the illegal immigrants currently in the United States did not cross a traditional border. Rather, they arrived here on a legitimate visa, saw the visa expire and never returned home. The truth is if your state is home to an international airport, you effectively live in a border state.
We are told that there are approximately 11 million [to 38 million] illegal immigrants currently in the country, though we have no real way of validating that figure. I'm reminded of the 1986 immigration deal when we were promised that granting amnesty to 1.5 million would rid us of the problem. In fact, when amnesty was advertised, about 3 million came forward. It would be foolish to believe that the same mathematics will not apply today.
Proponents of amnesty argue that it would be a fiscal boon to the nation, when in fact the opposite is true. A report just issued by the Heritage Foundation estimates that the cost of amnesty -- counting social benefits such as welfare, food stamps, Social Security, unemployment benefits and others -- would top $6.3 trillion over the life spans of illegal immigrants, even after tax revenues from them are realized...
In the end, we should never talk about granting amnesty before we have secured our borders.
That also means internal security. If Boston taught us anything, it was that threats can come from within and without...