Thread: Now, back to the illegal immigrants

Now, back to the illegal immigrants
Marc Rotterman
Published: Sat, Jan. 24, 2009 12:30AM
Modified Sat, Jan. 24, 2009 01:44AM



RALEIGH -- Open border advocates and some in Congress are urging President Barack Obama to stop construction of the 670-mile fence along the Mexican border (which, by the way, was to have been completed this month).

American citizens, during the congressional debate on immigration in 2007, emphatically informed their congressmen and senators in no uncertain terms that they wanted a fence built along our southern border, and they wanted that fence built without delay.

During the recent presidential elections, the illegal immigration crisis was downplayed by both major party presidential candidates and virtually ignored by the elite media and pundits. Many "Washington political experts" stated that illegal immigration was no longer an issue.


But according to a recent Rasmussen Reports national survey, most Americans support the continued construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border and the use of the military if necessary in border areas.

Sixty percent say the government should continue to build the fence, while 26 percent disagree and 13 percent are undecided.

The open border anti-fence activists are emboldened because Arizona's Gov. Janet Napolitano -- recently confirmed as Obama's choice for secretary of Homeland Security -- is perceived to be one of them and may try to halt or further delay construction of the $2 billion border barrier.

And this at a time when 5,700 deaths last year in Mexico were blamed on drug violence. That is a war -- and some in Mexico are beginning to understand that it can no longer tolerate such lawlessness. Some Mexican lawmakers want to revisit the country's ban on capital punishment.

Last June, the Bush administration's reaction to this crisis along our southern border was to push through a $1.6 billion border security spending plan -- for Mexico and Central America.

Instead of finishing the fence here, the American taxpayers coughed up their hard-earned cash for helicopters, surveillance equipment, computer infrastructure, expansion of intelligence databases, anti-corruption initiatives, human rights education and training, and anti-money laundering programs for our southern neighbors.

Meanwhile after years of officially launching complaints against the United States for its efforts to follow the rule of law and enforce its borders, Mexico is cracking down hard on illegal Cuban immigrants caught trying to enter Mexico from the south. Mexican officials have worked out an agreement with Cuba to immediately send back illegal aliens -- and to punish human smugglers.

Ironically, the Bush administration chose to reward illegal immigrants with amnesty, despite numerous studies -- including one by the Heritage Foundation -- that clearly demonstrated that the net cost to taxpayers of illegal immigrants exceeds their contributions to our nation's economy.

With our economy faltering, illegal immigration has begun to decline, some say to the lowest level in 30 years.

The Obama administration should use this opportunity to complete the fence and to secure our borders.

In what appears to be a deep and protracted recession and with unemployment on the rise, the United States can no longer afford the economic costs associated with illegal immigration. Let alone the cost to our sovereignty and security.
Marc Rotterman, who worked in the Reagan administration from 1981 to 1984, is a senior fellow at the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh and a former member of the board of the American Conservative Union.
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/col ... 79909.html

I can't believe the N&O ran this article . It certainly did not make the local "news" tv stations .

"Meanwhile after years of officially launching complaints against the United States for its efforts to follow the rule of law and enforce its borders, Mexico is cracking down hard on illegal Cuban immigrants caught trying to enter Mexico from the south. Mexican officials have worked out an agreement with Cuba to immediately send back illegal aliens -- and to punish human smugglers."

I guess Mexico, a 3rd world country, is smarter than our soon-to-be 3rd World Country ... huh?
Would that make Mexico, racist, bigotted and hypocritical??????