Public Policy: Immigration

Today I saw an thread on facebook about the reaction of some people to the idea or term of calling someone an illegal alien or immigrant. I realized, after checking my archives, that I had not discussed the issue of immigration policy in the United States.  Today's posting will deal with that public policy topic.

First, there is nothing wrong when the U.S. Congress write legislation regulation the immigration and naturalization of other people into the United States.  This is one of their expressed powers under Article I, Section 8:  "To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization."  Even though we may not agree with how they have decided to write said laws, there is no question about the authority of the government to make and enforce such laws. 

Secondly, I hate it when people say something like, "Nobody is illegal," or how the terminology has slowly been changing over the last 100 years from illegal alien to illegal immigrant to undocumented immigrant.  If you are a person whose citizenship is from another nation you are an immigrant or alien.  If you came to the U.S. by means that circumvent our laws, then you are here in the country illegally.  Hence the term: illegal alien or immigrant.  So PC police get off the backs of people who want the laws enforced.  Just because you don't like them does not mean other people can break them.  We live in a nation of laws and no one is above it.  Now on with my solutions.

First, we need to be able to control access to our country.  As of right now we have over 4,000 miles of border that is relatively unprotected.  There are several ways you could do this.  The most popular solution is to make a giant wall.  I can get behind that solution.  I would make a nation wide competition for people to submit plans for the "Great American Wall."  The winning design would be chosen by me, the President.  I would then bid out the construction to local companies in the states where the wall would be built.  The money would be appropriated for this project in the federal budget.  This wall or fence would be built along both our northern and southern borders.

I imagine the wall would be double layered anti-scaling fence , with razor wire on the top.  There would be enough room between the two fences for a car or two to pass by each other on patrols.  I would also suggest the fences be electrified.  The foundations would go deep into the earth to prevent tunneling.  Guard towers and access points would be provided every five to ten miles.  Either way the way would be there to provide a difficult physical barrier to stop people from entering.  Also it help stop incursions from the Mexican military and drug cartels.

Second, I would hire additional border patrol agents.  They would man the guard towers in the Great American Wall.  ICE and other agents who work with immigration would man these posts as well to help process the paperwork for any people wishing to enter the United States.  The American military would fill the gaps left by the border patrol.  The Coast Guard would be responsible for paroling the waterways in which people could sneak through.

Thirdly, I would increase work site enforcement of our current immigration laws.  I don't believe the solution is more laws, but enforcing the ones we have already written.  Anybody could tip off ICE to illegal aliens being hired and exploited by their company.  ICE would execute a search and capture both the offending aliens.  Also, the company would be punished as well according to already established laws.  Any elected or appointed official at the state or local level deeming themselves a sanctuary city and refusing to allow federal immigration laws to be properly enforced, would be tried in federal court and punished.

Fourth, after all of the previous steps were completed I, as President, would ask Congress to look at and possibly amend current immigration law and quotas.  One, goal would be to make it easier for people of other nations, who want to come to the U.S., and can contribute to our society and culture to make it easier for them.  If you want to come to our country and make a better life for yourself temporarily that is cool too.  But either way the government needs to be able to keep track of you and your family.  This would probably require monthly checkups on residence, job status and other information.  People on student visas have to prove they are in school and show good progress.  If a student, fails out of school then they are not allowed to live here any more.  End the quota system to allow more people from other areas to come here willingly and cut down the waiting list.  If you are a immigrant here and you commit a crime, depending on the severity you would be deported back to your home country and not allowed to return to the U.S. under any circumstances.

In summary, my policy would be to secure our borders, enforce the current law, and then enact the changes needed for more people to be allowed citizenship to this greatest nation on God's green earth.  As always I welcome any and all comments and suggestions.