EXCLUSIVE! State Rep. Russell Pearce Tells PHXnews, We Need A Fence At The AZ / Mexico Border!!!
Posted by PHX - Russell Pearce on Friday August 26, 2005 at 10:12 am MST [ Send Story to Friend ]

For many years, illegal immigration was a lot like the weather, a lot of people talked about it but nobody did anything about it.

But my preferred immigration policy is to have one. When you don't enforce the laws, you are in fact saying that the laws don't matter. No line jumpers. Period. You cannot have discussion about Guest Worker Programs with no border security. You have 60 million just from Mexico that say they want to come here even if they have to do illegally.

Well, a few dedicated people are here to say that while we can’t make it rain to alleviate the drought, Arizona can do something to stop the invasion of illegal aliens that pour across our border day-in and day-out.

And thankfully, the word is spreading.

The arguments for creating a secure border may seem familiar but they bear repeating.

Up to 4 million illegal aliens enter the United States each year. The government does not know who they are or their intentions.

Aside from the fact that a terrorist could easily slip into the country, illegal aliens flaunt our laws, take jobs that would have gone to Americans and depress wages.

It is well past time to put an end to this travesty.

There are plenty of initiatives Arizona could undertake to cut down on illegal border crossers, including cutting off benefits to those here illegally, enforcing employer sanctions and demanding local police help enforce immigration laws.

An idea that has proven effective in other parts of the country is a wall that could stretch across the state to create a major hurdle to entering Arizona.

Yuma sector U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Joe Brigman said: “Not only will it enhance our ability to gain greater control of the border, but it is a proactive effort to protect the environment, habitat and (protect) against the ravages of narcotics and alien smuggling vehicles.�

Three years ago, U.S. park ranger Kris Eggle died in a shootout with Mexican drug smugglers who crossed the border into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Eggle’s killing “vividly demonstrated� the need for such a barrier there, according to a 2003 news release from the National Park Service

The structure would accomplish several goals. First: Drug- and human-smuggling operations would lose valuable terrain with which to move their cargo.

Second: Protect private landowners who deal with property destruction and tons of trash left behind by the illegal aliens.

Lastly: Act as a deterrent to illegal aliens using Arizona as an entrance to the U.S.

The cost can be paid for through a tax on foreign money transfers by illegal aliens, tax credits and donations. An 8 percent tax on the nearly $2 billion a year sent by illegal aliens living in Arizona to foreign countries could raise about $160 million a year. This would easily raise enough money to pay for the wall.

Any money the state lost through tax credits and donations would easily be recovered through reduced expenses on state services for illegal aliens and their children.

In Arizona, the state spends at least $2 billion to educate, provide health care and incarcerate illegal aliens. That is nearly $900 per individual and corporate taxpayer in the state. That figure does not include the additional billions of taxpayer dollars from the federal government for the same services.

Keeping illegal aliens out of the country is the most important step that government can take.

What so many fail to grasp is the myriad of problems illegal aliens bring to our communities.

Illegal aliens take American’s jobs and depress wages by working for less than the typical prevailing wages. Businesses hungry for cheap labor hire illegals and dodge paying taxes and other benefits.

The largest and most violent gangs are made up of illegal aliens. Studies show the gang activity follows the migrant movement, such as the violent gang MS-13, which has tentacles in 33 major cities.

Illegal immigration harms this state and the entire country, causing untold damage to our ability to prosper and provide security to a nation built on a foundation that demands adherence to the rule of law. Until we acknowledge this problem and accept the obvious solutions, Arizona will continue to face violent peril and an uncertain economic future.

Meanwhile, the Republicans, caving to the business lobby, who take advantage of the illegal workforce, pay under the table, compete illegally and unfairly against the honest business person, and gain tremendous advantage over their honest competitors, take the lead opposing a better solution: vigorous prosecution of businesses who hire illegals. The Democrats resist every effort to control the borders because they believe they benefit political. If either party were serious about enforcing any of those laws, a wall would be unnecessary.

Working on the fairly reasonable â€â€