Immigration Arguments That Don’t Make Sense

I want you to imagine a scenario where a man comes home from work, and announces to his family, “I was fired today but I am very happy, the guy who is going to replace me is from the same country I came from!”

Next, I want you to imagine that the victim of a violent assault is lying in his hospital bed and when his concerned family members race to the hospital he says to them, “I got mugged last night and the thief stole my gold watch and my wallet with my paycheck in it and then stabbed me in my stomach, but it’s okay, I think he was also from the same country my parents came from!”

Certainly those two statement are not likely to be heard anywhere in the real world but I ask that you stop and think about the claims made by open borders anarchists who say that the only way for political candidates to win the votes of the Latino voters is to support measures that would provide lawful status to unknown millions of illegal aliens who are present in our country and encourage many more illegal aliens to enter the United States.  The most likely reason that illegal aliens come to the United States is to find a job.  A small but significant percentage of illegal aliens have criminal histories and may be fugitives in other countries or may be seeking to ply their criminal “trades” in the United States.

Today we will turn on the bright light of truth and illuminate just how flawed the arguments about how politicians can secure the hypothetical “Latino vote” are.

Let us begin by considering the definition of the term “Reason:”

1 a : a statement offered in explanation or justification <gave reasons that were quite satisfactory> b : a rational ground or motive <a good reason to act soon> c : a sufficient ground of explanation or of logical defense; especially : something (as a principle or law) that supports a conclusion or explains a fact <the reasons behind her client’s action> d : the thing that makes some fact intelligible : cause <the reason for earthquakes> <the real reason why he wanted me to stay — Graham Greene>

2 a (1): the power of comprehending, inferring, or thinking especially in orderly rational ways: intelligence (2): proper exercise of the mind (3): sanity b: the sum of the intellectual powers

The process of reasoning is supposed to be fact-based.

Now let’s consider how often the journalists and pundit invoke the notion that the only way a politician can capture the “Hispanic Vote” is to support Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the DREAM Act and other such purportedly “Pro-Immigrant” legislation.

The fatal flaw in that “reasoning” is the purpose for which immigration laws are established in the first place- those laws are supposed to protect the citizens of a country against the presence of aliens who would create a problem for the citizens and the nation.  Prior to the Second World War, the enforcement and administration of the immigration laws was the responsibility of the Department of Labor.  The concern was that a massive influx of foreign workers would do great harm to the American workforce.  It was this philosophy and concern for American workers that gave rise to the Middle Class and the American Dream.

Today all too many politicians and all too many journalists are quick to talk about how to make so-called “American companies” competitive but almost never talk about how to help American families become successful and increase their standards of living.  In fact, we are often told to expect, that American youngsters will likely be less financially well off then their parents are!  For the first time in many generations, the next generation has to expect to do worse than their parents did!  This is essentially an acknowledgement of the death of the American Dream!

Alan Greenspan, the former head of the Federal Reserve Bank and, arguably, one of those responsible for the economic crisis, was called to provide testimony before the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, when it held a hearing on April 30, 2009 into Comprehensive Immigration Reform.  In his prepared testimony, Greenspan bemoaned the fact that American workers are being shielded from competition from foreign workers causing them to earn too much money!  In fact, he referred to American workers who have skills and education as the “Privileged elite!”

In point of fact, our citizens are supposed to be shielded.  This is precisely what “providing for the common defense” as called for in our nation’s Constitution means!

Our armed forces exist to shield our nation and our citizens from our nation’s enemies.  Police officers and, in fact law enforcement officers on all levels are supposed to shield those in our country from criminals.

Our nation’s immigration laws should also be seen as a shield.  A shield against our nation’s enemies, a shield against aliens who are violent, a shield against aliens who have dangerous communicable diseases and a shield against aliens who would take the jobs Americans want!  This is not just my position- this is what is in the laws of the United States, especially the laws contained within the Immigration and Nationality Act!

Our nation’s immigration laws are not being enforced effectively.  The result is that today there are many millions of illegal aliens taking jobs Americans desperately need to support themselves and their families.  With all of the talk about the need to create jobs, not one politician has yet talked about the need to liberate jobs through the enforcement of the immigration laws.

It is time for our political leaders to truly earn the title leader and speak honestly and candidly about our immigration laws.  They need to not only understand why our nation has immigration laws, but demonstrate true leadership and explain that the effective enforcement of our immigration laws is not about bigotry but about looking out for the well being of our nation and our citizens of every race, religion and ethnicity.

As I noted at the conclusion of my remarks before the Tea Party Convention in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina:

There is a credit card company whose slogan is “Membership has its privileges.”  It is time that the United States adopts a similar slogan; I would suggest that it should be “Citizenship has its privileges!”  First and foremost, our immigration laws must be effectively enforced to protect the safety and wellbeing of our citizens and our country.

A Country without secure borders can no more stand than can a house without walls!