Thread: Catering to Illegals

Catering to Illegals
by Armstrong Williams (more by this author)
Posted 10/26/2007 ET

There is no more important of a domestic issue facing America than illegal immigration, and yet we continue to avoid resolving the problem. The dilemma is that millions of people are streaming across American borders in hope of improving their lot in life, but only a few of them are going through the proper channels to become legal citizens or documented aliens. Thus, our country is full of people who for all intents and purposes do not exist --they don’t have voting rights, they don’t have proper identification, they don’t serve on juries, and they don’t pay taxes. So as our schools crumble, our freeways become worn out, and our hospital waits become longer, illegal immigrants exacerbate the problem by using these services without adding to them. Those illegals who do work are admittedly helping the economy, but they are also hurting our overall society by sapping our resources without giving back. And finally, what is scary to think about is that in this age of terrorism, an open border (or a weak border) is an invitation for terrorists to enter and plan, support, or cause chaos.

This is why I was so appalled to hear about New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s plan to allow illegal immigrants the right to a driver’s license. The plan, which will impact the 500,000 to 1 million illegal immigrants in New York, is setting off alarms in Congress and the Homeland Security Department building because of its recklessness. In fact, New York’s Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco (R-Schenectady) is calling the new plan illegal and promised to file a suit against Spitzer in hopes of stopping the program.

Advocates of Spitzers’s plan believe that allowing undocumented immigrants to get a drivers license will provide them with state identification, and bring them out of the shadows where they can pay taxes, acquire car insurance, and contribute to society. That sounds good in theory, but the fact is that if these immigrants are unwilling or unable to go through the steps to become legal citizens, why would they take the time to acquire car insurance, pay taxes, or abide by any other law? Illegal immigrants are, by definition, breaking the law everyday they are living in America. Giving them perks and catering to their needs, will only encourage them to continue breaking the law. And worse, it will encourage more immigrants to flock to America, allow terrorists the ability to get a drivers license, and put more people on the roads who are not paying for those very roads to be built and maintained.

Former Mayor of New York and current presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani echoed the majority of New Yorkers and Republican lawmakers when he called the proposal a “mistakeâ€

Its too early, I guess. But one day people will talk about the consequences of spending taxpayer money, when taxpayer money is reduced by illegals paying less taxes or no taxes. Where will the taxpayer money come from then? Who will be paying for all of those free services to the illegals then? Who will pay for all those services used by those who are not paying taxes or not paying enough taxes?