http://www.house.gov/poe/op-ed/amnesty2.htm

Opinion Editorial from U.S. Representative Judge Ted Poe (TX-02)
2615 Calder, Suite 100
Beaumont, TX 77702 20202 U.S. Highway 59 N., Suite 105
Humble, TX 77338
The Bottom Line
Rep. Ted Poe (TX-02)

The debate over illegal immigration has turned into a typical political tug-of-war with every bit of common sense checked at the door and the Administration trying to appease both sides of the aisle. Leave it to bureaucrats to complicate a simple issue of right and wrong. It is illegal to enter our country without permission from the United States government no matter which way you try to sell it. Bottom line: it is it is illegal to be here illegally.

While not all people entering our country are from Mexico, quiet frankly I am tired of hearing Mexico’s President, Vicente Fox, weighing in on American law and policy. I think his country, and ours for that matter, would be much better served if he spent more time weighing in on Mexico’s problems. He is not an American citizen, he does not have any more say as to how we protect our country than do the millions living here illegally. The American people find this and most of the debate on illegal immigration complete nonsense.

Let’s start with the ridiculous notion of the ‘Catch and Release’ program. What happens is Border Agents arrest illegals for entering the country illegally, and then release them with an order to return for a deportation hearing. If the suspect in question knowingly broke the law by entering our country illegally, what makes anyone think that he would obey a court order to return? Even fisherman who coined the ‘Catch and Release’ phrase, tag their catch before releasing it. There is no reason that we should allow this to continue. There are several simple solutions to housing illegals, the best one is called jail. Jail is not supposed to be a luxury hotel, it is to serve as a deterrent for future illegal behavior. Tent cities will work for quick and swift deportation, as will the 10,000 FEMA trailers sitting in Arkansas.

Let’s be honest, this new guest worker program is not for “guest” workers, it is for “illegal” workers. We don’t need another program, we already have the most generous guest worker program in the world and it has done nothing to slow the tide of illegals entering our country. This new worker is being touted a as path way to citizenship for those who have established roots here. They will be expected to pay back taxes, learn English and get at the back of the line for citizenship. It begs the question, if they have been here so long and never made the effort to legitimize their status, what makes anyone think they care to become American citizens now? If they live in a cash economy, how do we know what their back taxes are? And what is going to happen to them if they don’t learn English, pay back taxes or become Americans? Nothing, and they know it. A worker program that leads to citizenship for illegal immigrants by any other name is amnesty and I will not support amnesty in any form.

The debate over illegal immigration has many facets, but we must not lose sight over the main issue. While the debate the social and moral implications of what to do with those already illegally here continues, we as a sovereign nation must secure our borders and insist on ending incentives for people to come to our country illegally. Businesses and individuals must be held accountable. Social services, including education, must be for American citizens. If people in our country illegally don’t have the rights and privileges of citizenship they will finally be forced to abide by our laws or return to their own country. That is just the way it is.