Illegal Immigration

By Kent Snyder

The U.S. House voted September 15 to build a fence on the U.S.-Mexican border by passing the Secure Fence Act of 2006. We applaud that decision. However, we cannot relax our vigilance on the issue of illegal immigration, and here’s why.

The legislation authorizes construction of only a 700-mile fence on the 2,000-mile border. (Presently, there is fencing along just 75 miles of the border.) In addition, the legislation does not authorize any money to pay for the fence construction. That omission is unusual, because most bills include an authorization of money to pay for what the legislation directs. Money will presumably be added this fall, to the Homeland Security appropriations bill, but that is an open question. In addition, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has said, according to a Capitol Hill source, that the U.S. Senate will not vote on any immigration bills during the rest of this year. If the Senate doesn’t pass the Secure Fence Act the House passed yesterday, the legislation dies.

So why don’t the Republican-controlled Congress and White House pass substantial and comprehensive legislation to correct the problem of illegal immigration; legislation the vast majority of Americans want? In a word: amnesty. The Democrats want amnesty for the estimated 10- to-20 million illegal aliens in the United States. The Republicans do also.

President Bush has always wanted to grant amnesty. Republican Senators Bill Frist, John McCain, and Kay Bailey Hutchinson, have joined Democratic Senators Ed Kennedy and Harry Reid, in support of amnesty. And Republican leaders in the U.S. House have been unclear on their position.

But it’s clear to us, that the political elites of both parties want to grant amnesty, because of their desire to create a European-style Union made up of Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Latin America. To them, the United States of America is an outdated idea.

So passage of the Secure Fence Act by the U.S. House, was simply a token to voters this November. But the vast majority of Americans want more than tokens. They want substantial legislation passed now - to stop illegal immigration.

Congressmen Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, Virgil Goode, John Hostettler, Walter Jones, and others, are working to that end. Congressman Paul proposes:

1. Physically secure our borders and coastlines.

2. Enforce visa rules on people already in the U.S.

3. Reject amnesty.

4. End welfare-state incentives for illegal aliens.

5. End birthright citizenship.

Congressman Paul strongly urges his Congressional colleagues and President Bush to approve these proposals this year. (See “Immigration Reform in 2006?".)

Don’t be lulled into thinking the problem of illegal immigration will be solved by the House passage of the Secure Fence Act. Our U.S. representatives and senators, along with President Bush, need to know that we know, what they are not doing about illegal immigration. And that their inaction will be remembered, this seventh of November.

Capitol Hill Switchboard: 202-224-3121

White House Switchboard: 202-456-1414

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