NYC Mayor Bloomberg on America’s Immigration Challenge

September 26th, 2011 - by Rich Cooper

Homeland security is a group effort, with agencies coordinating to protect America’s borders, transportation systems, infrastructure and citizens. Immigration enforcement is a critical component, as terrorists and other evil doers seek legitimate entry into the United States for illegitimate ends. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies uphold our immigration standards and laws, and we should be thankful to have such dedicated experts protecting the homeland.

In working to keep terrorists and other criminals out of the United States, however, we must ensure that our immigration laws facilitate the arrival of hard-working people seeking a better, freer life. To be sure, DHS’ mandate is to prevent terrorism and facilitate recovery after an incident. The challenge of reforming U.S. immigration laws rests largely with our representatives on the Hill, the U.S. Congress.

U.S. security depends not only on homeland efforts but also on the ability of this country’s citizens to prosper and create a vibrant economy. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the Council on Foreign Relations that “every day that we fail to fix our broken immigration laws is a day that we inflict a wound on our economy.â€