Thread: Please, Fence Us In

Please, Fence Us In

Please, Fence Us In
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
http://www.investors.com
Posted 10/4/2007

Illegal Immigration: Is the Bush administration finally making progress in controlling our porous border? Based on a number of events in recent weeks, it sure seems that way. Let's hope it's not a mirage.


Federal agents launched what they say is the largest sweep ever of criminal immigrants in Los Angeles, where an estimated 2 million illegals make their home. Under the so-called Fugitive Operation Program (FOP), the feds netted some 1,300 criminals — out of more than 597,000 criminal illegal immigrants who've been targeted for deportation.

Make no mistake: The people picked up in Los Angeles weren't the hardworking types who sneak into the U.S. just to better themselves economically. No, these were mostly hard-core criminals. Many — 797, to be exact — were already in jail or prison.

Along with recent raids on companies that are knowingly employing illegals, FOP shows that the U.S. government is finally getting serious. It's about time, because the costs are enormous.

Nationwide, any immigrant who has less than a high school education will impose a net cost on taxpayers of $89,000 over his or her lifetime, according to the National Research Council. Since over half the nation's 12 million to 20 million illegals don't have a high school diploma, the cost to the U.S. is billions each year.

But of all the costs involving illegal immigration, perhaps least appreciated are the ones associated with criminal behavior.

It's a huge problem. The Government Accountability Office in 2005 estimated that there were 55,322 aliens in U.S. prisons and jails. These are prolific criminals, says the report: "(The 55,322 jailed aliens) were arrested at least a total of 459,614 times, averaging about eight arrests per illegal alien."

As recent headlines attest, this alien crime wave includes everything from murder to child abuse. No matter how you feel about immigration, these criminals shouldn't be here. The sweep of criminal aliens is a good move.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was ridiculed this week for noting that the illegals flooding across our border "degrade the environment." We agree that a better case can be made for keeping illegal immigrants from coming in.

But give Chertoff his due. As part of President Bush's revamp of our illegal immigration policy, he has overseen the completion of 150 miles of fence along the border. He vows to achieve the U.S. goal of 370 miles of fencing by the end of 2008. This is all good.

We've been critical of U.S. immigration policy in the past. But recent steps by the Bush administration to deport criminal aliens and build the fence deserve praise.

Is this all we have to do? No. But it's a good start.

Illegal Immigration: Is the Bush administration finally making progress in controlling our porous border? Based on a number of events in recent weeks, it sure seems that way. Let's hope it's not a mirage.

Until this bafoon of a President gets off his rear and addresses the nation and demands that all must return home, this will remain a mirage. Duncan is right, his fence can and should be built in 6 months, but Bush won't move on that because he doesn't want the fence. He could order it to be built NOW, but he won't. So anything that he is doing with ICE is nothing more than a mirage. We should be hearing of daily raids happening at WalMart, McDonalds, Burger King, not just with small companies like those of construction and landscaping. His heart is not in it. He's a traitor and that's why.