Exclusive: Immigration Enforcement: Can We Move Beyond Reaction to Crisis?
George Weissinger, Ph. D.
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/ho ... d=1238481#

Author: George Weissinger
Source: The Family Security Foundation, Inc.
Date: August 13, 2007


Have our political leaders failed us in many instances, by ignoring the most basic rule separating sovereign nations from lawless areas? FSM Contributing Editor George Weissinger, Ph.D., argues that we simply cannot afford our lamentable habit of passive response to national crises.





Immigration Enforcement: Can We Move Beyond Reaction to Crisis?






By George Weissinger, Ph. D.



Americans react to crisis situations. It is a cultural response learned from experience with crises. As it relates to our present immigration problem, some examples include the Iranian hostage crisis, the Mariel Boatlift, the Haitian exodus to Florida, the Cuban problem, especially the Elian Gonzalez case, Citizenship USA, and, of course, the last attempt by the Administration and Congress to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. The government tends to respond to crisis situations and emergencies instead of following routine maintenance protocols, or simply enforcing the laws. How did we get to this state of chaos? By failing to enforce the immigration laws inside the U.S., and by not taking illegal border crossers seriously, our leaders have failed in a basic rule of sovereignty.



Our porous borders and ideological swing to the left by certain groups are a threat to our national security. It is easier for a terrorist posing as an Hispanic with links to the Mexican drug cartels to sneak across the border than it is for the typical illegal entrant. The terrorist has all the time in the world to build up a presence inside the U.S. Hundreds already here, thousands in the future—all dedicated true believers. It is only a matter of time before the terror cells begin implementing their global strategy inside our country. These extremists hold the advantage because they are willing to die for their cause. Americans want to live, and that may be our weakness in this war.



Americans are also passive in their response to continuing crises until it all crumbles. We rely on our elected representatives to lead, we rely on the police to protect, and we rely on other people to solve our problems. However, the squeaky wheel does, in fact, get the grease. So, it often depends on the activists out there to get things done, and the squeakiest will get it done best.



Take, for example, the criminal justice system. A couple of miscreant parolees slaughter a family in Connecticut. As a federal parole officer, I struggled to monitor my parolees who were, for the most part, violent gang members and gangsters. I was limited by an agency that was oriented towards rehabilitation over enforcement, a typical strategy for dual-mandate agencies. Agencies dealing with immigration enforcement, or offenders, are ideally supposed to provide a service, as well as protect the community (enforcement).



This rarely works in the real world. The service priority takes over in such agencies, coupled with politicians that mandate soft methods, and emphasize rehabilitation in creating operations instructions. The ideal is to spend as much on service as you do on enforcement. However, the reality tends to push far more resources at service than enforcement. The service component of immigration will be more appealing to lawmakers and politicians. Who would deny a child the right to an education? If the child is an illegal alien, then we should ignore this minor fact. Similarly, health care and medical assistance should be available to poor, impoverished people. The problem with the ideological emphasis on humanitarianism is that those who have worked their whole lives believing in just deserts are left holding the bag. Where is the justice for those who have followed the rules and expected the rewards?



Comprehensive immigration reform failed in the U.S. Senate. Millions of aliens are allowed to enter the U.S. legally, both permanently as well as temporarily. However, this still does not satisfy the amnesty and open borders lobby. We are in the midst of confusion and chaos and our sovereignty continues to be in jeopardy. The enemy can use this confusion to their advantage. Small but powerful segments of society, including the mainstream media, most of academia, lobbyists, Hollywood celebrities, vested interest groups and, let us not forget, the subversives and anarchists all contribute to the goals of the terrorists.



The silent majority cannot remain passive if we intend to survive. We cannot rely on good faith in leaders to solve the problems. It is imperative that we demand that our elected representatives represent our interests. The Administration’s new strategy - to encourage employers to fire those who use fake social security numbers, crack down on employers who hire substantial numbers of illegal aliens, build fences along the border, detain those apprehended on the border, implement the exit-control system (match nonimmigrant entries with departures), train more state and local law officers to enforce immigration laws, arrest and deport illegal aliens who are members of street gangs, and clean up the alien fugitive mess - are steps in the right direction.



Increasing the size of the Border Patrol will not do it alone. We need to address interior enforcement as well. This means increasing the number of interior enforcement officers, inspections, and deportation procedures as well.



Now, that is immigration enforcement. Let’s see what happens.