The issue of illegal immigration has been a red-hot topic in my hometown community of Newport Beach/Costa Mesa, Orange County, Southern California.
Sincere and heart-felt arguments have been made on both sides of the issue.
However, many of those who write letters to the local paper in support of illegal immigration make it sound like Costa Mesa is the only place in the nation whose people favor the enforcement of our immigration laws.
They suggest that those elected officials supporting these laws are just a small local band guilty of meanness, bigotry, and racism.
Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact the facts suggest something entirely different.
There is a new coalition across our land called State Legislators for Legal Immigration (25 states) that has announced an "unprecedented and historic effort to secure borders and cut off all economic attractions for illegal aliens."
Pennsylvania state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe demanded "full cooperation" from all levels of government to "secure Americašs borders against unlawful invasion." This would include elimination of all attractions such as welfare and taxpayer-funded benefits such as education.
Metcalfe accused Washington of being "AWOL on fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities to secure our nationšs borders against foreign invaders."
According to CNSNews, the new coalition, he said, "represents a 21st century Declaration of Independence from property theft, drug running, human trafficking, increased violent crime, increased gang activity, terrorism, and the many other clear and present dangers directly associated with illegal immigration."
In the neighboring state of Arizona, a small crowd of Sen. Jon Kyl supporters positioned themselves and their signs behind the speakers so as to be clearly visible from all camera angles. Sen. Kyl's office has reportedly been deluged with calls from Arizonans accusing him of breaking a campaign promise not to support amnesty.
A vote on the new Immigration Reform Act of 2007 has been delayed until after Memorial Day, as a grass-roots movement to stop the bill gains force.
Opponents say that the bill constitutes a silent amnesty.
In a Reuters story, U.S. Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff acknowledged that there is a "fundamental unfairness" in legislation that allows illegals to remain, but that forcing them to leave would be impossible. The bill is "bowing to reality."
Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan agrees that we canšt tear sobbing immigrants from their homes and put them on a bus. We should debate at length what to do with illegals who are here, but we should do "whatever it takes to close [the borders] tight and solid."
"Naturally I hope the new immigration bill fails," she writes. "It is less a bill than a big dirty ball of mischief, malfeasance and mendacity, with a touch of class malice."
Notes writer Craig Cantoni, "I've done something that few reporters, pundits and members of Congress have done. I've read all 347 pages of the Secure Border, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007." He suggests renaming it the Secure Economic Opportunities for Lawyers, Consultants, and Bureaucrats Act of 2007.
Provisions include:
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Complicated mandates for employers to verify the immigration status of potential employees
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A commission to set the wages of guest workers at union scale for wages that would otherwise be covered by collective bargaining
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Sharing of Social Security numbers and tax information between various agencies
There are apparently no requirements for schools that will cost taxpayers nearly half a million dollars per family of four children over 12 years, nor for hospitals, emergency rooms, or clinics.
Those in my hometown of Newport/Mesa favoring illegal immigration have every right to express their point of view. However, there is no need for them to resort to name calling against individuals who support the law.
Securing our nationšs borders against foreign invaders is a constitutional requirement — not a symptom of meanness or racism.
At least 25 other states and localities (and counting) and the vast majority of our citizens (poll data) are opposed to illegal immigration because of the wide spread clear and present dangers directly associated with illegal immigration.
Editor's Note: Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., wrote this week's commentary.
