Thread: Rep/ Hensarling (R-Dallas) against amnesty, for guest worker

http://www.tylerpaper.com/site/news.cfm ... 1384&rfi=6

HENSARLING ADDRESSES IMMIGRATION
By: SARA FOLEY, Staff Writer
04/12/2006

JACKSONVILLE - The United States has been ignoring border security at its own peril, leading to problems in state health care and public education, U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Dallas) said.

"A nation without borders is not a nation," he said, adding that his first priority would be to shut down the borders so the number of new illegal immigrants coming in would decrease.

Hensarling addressed about 40 Jacksonville residents Wednesday afternoon to discuss his stance on immigration issues as part of a succession of speeches in Rusk, Athens and Kemp during the day.

Recent protests across the state and country haven't changed Hensarling's opinion about the issue, but he did say it was important to distinguish what issues should be left out of the immigration discussions.

"This isn't about ethnicity. This isn't a debate about who it is that makes the best Americans," he said. "There's a big difference between illegal immigrants and legal immigrants. I don't want to take the Statue of Liberty down."

Hensarling also said he believed that the majority of immigrants were "just good people trying to feed their families," but added that their good intentions don't make their actions legal.

The first step, he said, would be to control the influx, before making difficult decisions over whether current illegals should be sent back and how that would be paid for.

Hensarling said that in a post-Sept. 11, world, Americans must have an increased concern about their country's safety. One problem, he said, was that illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico were sneaking over the Texas-Mexico border in higher numbers than in the past 10 years.

"It's become the United Nations of illegal immigrants trying to get in here," he said. "What was a trickle is now a flood."

Hensarling spoke against a blanket amnesty program for current illegal immigrants living in the country, something he said would be a "slap in the face" for immigrants who entered the country legally.

Hensarling said he would promote a guest worker program, something he said would help those trying to feed their families.

Hensarling said he would promote a guest worker program, something he said would help those trying to feed their families.

Where in the United States Constitution, does it say that we are responsible for the feeding of foreign, non-U.S. citizens?