Illegal Immigration, the Cure

Let me give you some perspective on my approach to the issue. I grew up in Puerto Rico. Much of my military career was spent working in Central and South America. My wife and I suffered through the legal path to her citizenship. So I come to you without malice and my only ax to grind is the rule of law in our Republic.

Any solution must involve a degree of compromise at this point. Government and law enforcement malfeasance are the proximate cause of the problem. The government deception has formally been in place since the Reagan Amnesty of 1986 and has continued unabated with the amnesties of 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000, and the Bush blanket amnesty attempt in 2004 (with the help of Senator McCain). Along with the illegal immigrant problem we must include the associated problem of the “anchor babies”. Anchor babies are born on our soil to an illegal and are granted citizenship automatically.

In the spirit of not rewarding unlawful behavior while acknowledging the complicity of our elected leaders I suggest the following steps are in order:

1. Pass laws that eliminate "anchor babies" status as citizens by virtue of being born on American soil (illegal immigrants must register babies in their country of origin). Anchor baby citizenship must be stripped from any child 5 years of age or younger at the time the law becomes effective.

2. Severe penalties for hiring/employing illegal immigrants. This must be a zero-tolerance measure aimed at license revocations, severe fines and/or a prison sentence for employers that exploit illegal immigrants. The latter will eliminate the economic motive for illegally entering the US and will reduce the pressure at our borders. We will be left to deal with the criminal aliens seeking to traffic illicitly in the US.

3. Mandatory cross-checking of all social security numbers between the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Homeland Security. False social security numbers will be investigated and criminal charges brought against the illegal immigrant possessing the fraudulent SSN and the associated employer.

4. Close and secure our borders.

5. Deport illegal immigrant felons and those with a history of misdemeanors spanning 5 years or more.

6. Deport any illegal immigrants who are unemployed.

7. Place the remaining illegal immigrants who have been in the US prior to 2000 to the "back of the line", fine them, and limit them/their children/immediate family to "legal resident" status only, on a permanent basis and with no right to petition on behalf of other family members. They must be permanently barred from citizenship.

8. Deportation of any illegal immigrant here in 2000 or thereafter or with demonstrable ties to a gang or gang activity, either directly or by an immediate family member.

9. Deportation of any illegal immigrant here in 2000 or thereafter who has been a welfare or government aid recipient within the last 5 years.

10. Pass laws wherein an import quota or surcharge assessment is tied to the cost of welfare, schooling, and medical treatment rendered to illegal immigrants and charged to the country of origin. Illegal immigration will become a cost of doing business in the US.

11. Any church or not-for-profit organization that violates immigration laws or aids/abets illegal immigrants would lose their tax-exempt status immediately without recourse.

12. Fast-track the processing of immigrants in the legal pipeline for US residency.

13. Bar any immigration from countries deemed sponsors of terrorism, sponsors of human trafficking, or involved in the production, shipment or trans-shipment of illicit drugs.

14. Make English the official language of the United States and ban other foreign languages on licensing tests, ballots or in the workplace. Use of other languages to assist tourists would be acceptable such as at international airports. Bilingual education would stop immediately as it is a discriminatory practice favoring some at the expense of others.

15. Until the federal government demonstrates that it can responsibly enforce our immigration laws, the AZ law must be replicated and enforced by the States.

16. The States must follow the recent Oklahoma example and pass laws barring State Courts from using or considering international law or sharia law in the disposition of cases brought before the court.

17. The States must pass laws prohibiting the display of foreign flags in public schools by students or activist teachers or groups.

This list is not meant to be all inclusive but it is consistent with the US Constitution and affirms that the US is to be a melting-pot for those who wish to legally become a part of this great nation.

E Pluribus Unum