American Depot - The Doors are Open

Some of you are going to disagree with me on this one.

Let me first state I am not a racist - this is not an issue of ethnicity.

There are many different views regarding the unchecked illegal immigrant problems in this country. There are estimated to be more than 11 million illegal aliens residing in the United States, most from Central and South American countries, the majority of those from Mexico.

Some Americans are not alarmed by this and argue that despite being illegal, these immigrant workers are good for our economy, that they do the work Americans don't want to do. However many who take this stance directly benefit from the cheap labor provided by these workers.

Those who disagree with them say illegal immigrants are taking jobs away from legitimate American citizens and drive down wages by working for less than is required to meet basic needs and support a family. They point out that these workers are not only harvesting crops, mowing lawns, working as housekeepers and other menial tasks but that they are also taking construction, manufacturing and other labor jobs away from Americans who formerly held these jobs. They say illegal immigrants are willing to work for much less because they share expenses by sharing vehicles and living expenses, several families living in the same house and riding eight people to an automobile (which is environmentally sound but not safe or legal). Those against this flood of illegal immigrants adamantly declare this way of life is not the American dream.

Others who support immigrants argue that accepting immigrants is what America is all about and that our country was founded and built by immigrants. They say we should receive these immigrants with Christian compassion and that this is our heritage. They point to the inscription on the Statue of Liberty which reads, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

But those against this surge of illegal immigrants say, yes this is the way our country was founded, but that was then and this is now and these immigrants are not legal. They point out that we as Americans continue to fulfill our time-honored commitment to immigrants under our current immigration law that allows for an annual total of 675,000 legal immigrants, this level to consist of: 480,000 family-sponsored; 140,000 employment-based; and 55,000 “diversity immigrants.” The limited number of aliens who may be issued visas or otherwise provided nonimmigrant status under the temporary worker category is limited to 65,000 annually but those numbers are being exceeded by hundreds of thousands.

There are other views for and against the broken borders and endless flow of immigrants into this country - but most are against.

Those against point out that most illegal immigrants are paid in cash by unscrupulous employers who take advantage of cheap labor and therefore these illegal employees have no bank accounts and do not pay taxes. They also charge that since these workers and their families do not have health insurance or pay taxes they are straining social programs including health care and our public education system because as illegals they only draw from these systems and don't invest in them with tax dollars. Also much of the money they earn is not pumped back into the economy but instead is sent back to family members in their home countries.

Regardless of what your views are regarding the illegal immigration and unsecured borders controversy, here are a few things you should consider.

These are our rules.

If you’re a citizen of a foreign country, in most cases you’ll need a visa to enter the United States.

A visa doesn’t permit entry to the U.S., however. A visa simply indicates that your application has been reviewed by a U.S. consular officer at an American embassy or consulate, and that the officer has determined you’re eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose. Consular affairs are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of State. A visa allows you to travel to the United States as far as the port of entry (airport or land border crossing) and ask the immigration officer to allow you to enter the country. Only the immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter the United States. He or she decides how long you can stay for any particular visit. Immigration matters are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

There are two categories of U.S. visas: immigrant and nonimmigrant. Immigrant visas are for people who intend to live permanently in the U.S. Nonimmigrant visas are for people with permanent residence outside the U.S. but who wish to be in the U.S. on a temporary basis – for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work or study.

I have questions.

Why have immigration laws if you don't intend to enforce them?

Why have borders if we don't intend to protect and secure them?

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for both.

Why have a Department of Homeland Security if it allows porous, unsecured borders and if it does not enforce immigration laws and does nothing to protect our country against illegal entry? (You're doing a heck of a job Cherty!)

One of the protesters in the huge protest march in California on Saturday told the Reuters news agency that the proposed federal legislation now before congress that would crack down on undocumented immigrants is wrong, "because this is a country for everybody who wants to live a better life and this is a free world".

If this is a country for "everybody" who wants to lead a "better life" then we should be prepared for an overwhelming influx of people, mostly uneducated and most who can't or don't want to speak English. Millions and millions of people from other nations, and not just those in this hemisphere, also want to lead a "better life". The only hurdle they have to overcome is to get into Mexico. Getting from there into the US is comparatively easy.

When we consider preparing for this new, heavily increasing number of immigrants we are not talking about just those from South and Central America. All other nations are watching as our neighbors to the south force their way into our country, streaming across the borders by the thousands each and every day.

They see and hear the stories that, even though these immigrants are here illegally, Americans are so compassionate that these illegals are receiving healthcare and welfare assistance without paying for it.

These people see and hear how the illegal immigrants are now being considered for citizenship without meeting naturalization requirements.

They see and hear how these illegals are being offered jobs and even welcomed by American businesses that are quick to take advantage of cheap labor by those who want a piece of the action here in the land of plenty.

How long will that "better life" being enjoyed by Americans last if unchecked immigration continues to be drive down wages and our social systems are stressed to the point of breaking?

Mexico has strict immigration laws and it enforces them. All foreigners entering the country, except in a case of a tourist, must obtain an immigration permit and have their name entered in the National Foreigner’s Registry. If a tourist, you must apply for an immigration permit after having paid the fees at the port of entrance.Once you are authorized you have up to 180 days, then you must leave the country. Mexico is serious about protecting its borders and enforcing immigration policy, yet they are critical of the United States for wanting to do the same.

By the way, for all of you out there who grouch that immigrants should all be required to speak English, guess under whose presidency the English language requirement was removed (waived) from the current naturalization law? No, it was not under Bill Clinton! It was done in 1990. Figure it out.

Then guess which president wants to give amnesty to those 11 million illegals who are here now and establish a broad guest worker program to further encourage immigrants to breach our borders.

Unfortunately, there are many Democrats as well as Republicans among this group that want to allow unrestricted numbers of immigrants to enter our workforce. Many building contractors, large farmers, service companies and small business owners like the idea because this source of cheap labor helps increase their profit margins. And don't forget those who oppose unions and those who can afford housekeepers, gardeners and other servant level employees. They all love the idea.

Also driving this issue is the ever-growing Hispanic vote. Elected representatives, both Republican and Democratic, are attempting to work this issue to their advantage, their only concern being how to win the Hispanic vote without alienating their party base and their corporate sponsors. They aren't considering what is best for our nation, only what might destroy their chance to be re-elected to office and high on that list of concerns is appeasing the corporate contributors to their campaigns.

Is it not enough for corporations that hundreds of thousands of American Jobs were transferred to Mexico and other Latin American countries as a result of free trade agreements? Now these same displaced workers are being asked to share the remaining American jobs with a flood of immigrants from the same countries that ended up with those jobs?

This is a "free world" the immigrants say in their defense.

That's odd because I am not free to enter any other nation without a valid passport and once there, even when I enter legally, I can't freely get a job or freely stay as long as I wish and freely break the laws of that country. I am not free to get healthcare and welfare assistance in their countries nor am I free to work a job in those countries. Most other countries protect their workers and will not allow even those foreigners who reside there full time to take jobs away from their citizens.

On Saturday, the 500,000 Hispanic protestors who marched in Los Angeles, the 300,000 in Chicago and thousands of others in marches across the country were protesting proposed federal legislation that would crack down on undocumented immigrants, penalize those who help them and give them jobs, and build a security wall along the U.S. southern border. It is unfair they say to prevent people from entering this country who want to share in the American dream.

It may be the American dream they want to share but it was the flags of their home countries the protestors proudly carried in defiance, Mexico's flag being the most prominent. In contrast there were only a handful of American flags even though many of the protestors were Hispanic-Americans. It just seems obstinate to me to for those who entered this country illegally to insist that legislation be passed giving them amnesty while proudly declaring their allegiance to a foreign nation by carrying the flag of that country. They are not a guest soccer team here to compete against Americans - they are non-citizen law breakers.

Hispanics over the years have contributed much to our country and we are a better nation as a result. They are a beautiful, family oriented and religiously devout people. I admire their work ethic and especially their political activism and ability to organize and turn out protestors. If only the rest of America were as passionate about their rights as these Hispanics we wouldn't have the inept and corrupt corporate led government we have today.

It was the Santa Clara Case in 1886 that, due to a clerical error, bestowed the same rights held by individual citizens to corporations. The world has been in decline ever since.

Every day that passes makes me wonder just who this country belongs to.

When you decide to join with me in taking it back - let me know.

Gary