U.S. HAS THE RIGHT TO STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Quite a few Latin American governments have expressed their displeasure concerning our government’s decision to build a wall on our border with Mexico. Mexican President Vicente Fox has compared our wall to the Berlin wall. The comparison is invalid. The East German communist government used the Berlin wall to keep citizens seeking freedom inside the country. Our wall, if built, intends to keep people outside our country from entering it illegally.

Last time I checked, every country has the right to control immigration. It is up to us to decide who comes into the United States of America. It is not the business of any Latin American government, including Mexico. Rubén Aguilar, a spokesperson for President Vicente Fox, says the decision to build the wall damages relations with Mexico and goes against the spirit of cooperation necessary to guarantee border security.

Why should building the wall damage relations with Mexico? They are trying to make an internal problem, their inability to improve the Mexican economy and create employment opportunities for their citizens, into our problem. Failure to eliminate corruption and govern effectively and efficiently is what keeps Mexico and other Latin American countries from meeting the needs of their citizens. Why not do the things necessary to attract foreign investments and build a healthy economy? Asian countries have done it. Why is Latin America unable to do it?

Instead of criticizing the United States, look in the mirror. You are your own worst enemy. Speaking about nurturing a spirit of cooperation, why do many of you fail to support the U.S. with your votes at the United Nations or at the Organization of American States? It is hypocritical to favor leftist populist governments with your votes, and then act as if we owe you some favor. Why do you not send your illegal immigrants to Cuba? There, before Castro took over, the country’s economy was second or third in the hemisphere. Check the U.N. figures, if you doubt my words. Now, after 47 years of totalitarian rule and mismanagement, the Cuban economy is in shambles. Following the example of Castro’s Cuba, Chavez’s Venezuela, or Morales’ Bolivia will lead to economic ruin, not to speak of the loss of human rights and freedoms.

Illegal immigrants are not morally in a position to demand anything from the government of the United States of America. Giving the chance to become citizens to illegal immigrants who have been here for many years would attest to the greatness of this country and its people. Unless accompanied by heavy fines and requirements to enforce some kind of restitution, I am not sure is a good idea. It would give others the impression we are pushovers. Break our laws by forcing your way into our country, and if you get away with it for a number of years, we will forgive you. It is like giving the keys to your house to someone guilty of home invasion some time ago.

Here, I am not discussing the merits of the proposed wall at our border with Mexico. Since that border is longer than the approved length the wall, I am not sure how effective that barrier will be. I also do not know how much it will cost to maintain it. What I do know is that the U.S. has the right to stop illegal immigration.

In the spirit of cooperation with Mexico and with other countries (Why should poor Mexicans be the only ones entitled to work in the U.S.?), I favor President’s Bush proposal to authorize the legal entrance of a limited number of temporary workers. For that proposal to be successful, however, we would have to set up the necessary measures to ensure those people go back to their country when their permits expire.

Temporary workers could be required to stay in touch with an Immigration official, the same way people on parole need to report to a parole officer. If some elude the authorities, we would deduct that number from the total number of approved work permits. For example, let us say we decide on a total figure of 500,000 temporary workers in any one year. If at the end of the first year 10,000 temporary workers failed to go back, staying in the U.S. illegally, then we would only issue 490,000 permits the following year. We could continue to follow that formula in subsequent years or disband the program altogether if it becomes obvious a sizable number of immigrants will not honor the agreement.

Recommended Reading: Ercian Testament - Part Three, chapter 26 “Matters of Concern.”