Real Immigration Reform
That’s what I’d call the proposal in Charles Krauthammer’s latest Washington Post column, titled “First a Wall, Then Amnesty.” Let’s look at Charles’ proposal:
Every sensible immigration policy has two objectives: (1) to regain control of our borders so that it is we who decide who enters and (2) to find a way to normalize and legalize the situation of the 11 million illegals among us. Start with the second. No one of good will wants to see these 11 million suffer. But the obvious problem is that legalization creates an enormous incentive for new illegals to come.
I still haven’t heard from McCain’s gang how their legislation seals off the borders. That’s because it isn’t serious about that aspect. On the other hand, I still haven’t heard how the Sensenbrenner legislation addresses the illegal aliens already here. That’s because they aren’t interested in realistic solutions to that problem.
The real solution to the immigration problem is Sensenbrenner’s shutting off the flow of illegals into the U.S. before offering amnesty to the illegals already here.
Forget employer sanctions. Build a barrier. It is simply ridiculous to say it cannot be done. If one fence won’t do it, then build a second 100 yards behind it. And then build a road for patrols in between. Put in cameras. Put in sensors. Put out lots of patrols. Can’t be done? Israel’s border fence has been extraordinarily successful in keeping out potential infiltrators who are far more determined than mere immigrants. Nor have very many North Koreans crossed into South Korea in the past 50 years.
The Israeli wall is a perfect example of how a country unilaterally protects itself from a lawless nation. Would building a fence strain U.S.-Mexican relations? Most likely. Do I care? Not a bit. National security comes first in a post-9/11 world. All other considerations come in a distant third at best.
This is no time for mushy compromise. A solution requires two acts of national will: the ugly act of putting up a fence and the supremely generous act of absorbing as ultimately full citizens those who broke our laws to come to America. This is not a compromise meant to appease both sides without achieving anything. It is not some piece of hybrid legislation that arbitrarily divides illegals into those with five-year-old “roots” in America and those without, or some such mischief-making nonsense.
Get these competing pieces of legislation to conference, implement the wall first, then start on the legalization track. It’s America’s best hope.
Technorati Tags: Illegal Immigration, Terrorists, McCain, Sensenbrenner
Cross-post at LetFreedomRingBlog
April 7th, 2006 at 8:15 am
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: A BETTER PLAN THE GALVIN PLAN
The Senate’s plan is rife with problems. If implemented it will be abused. Under our plan, all illegal aliens are treated equally and Congress predetermines how many can stay.
April 7th, 2006 at 9:31 am
It is insulting to no end for these clowns in Congress to seriously say that old phone bills or utility bills can be used to prove the “undocumented” have been in the country for 5 years. You thought forging a SSN card was easy…
This requirement that they have continuous employment sounds like near slavery. Imagine an employer having the ability to hold the threat of deportation over any employee.
Krauthammer’s plan is impressive in how it gives a tolerable way for illegal immigrants to accept a wall to stop future immigration.
April 7th, 2006 at 10:30 am
[...] Others: Captain’s Quarters California Conservative posted by: The Editors @ 10:17 am April 7, 2006 [...]
April 7th, 2006 at 10:45 am
I wonder how much a wall would really do to stop terrorist. The British and Irish armies fortified much of the Northern Ireland border a much smaller border but it never stopped the IRA going North.
April 7th, 2006 at 11:00 am
Right on, Gary. And Charles Krauthammer is correct, as usual.
Talking about any immigration “reform” (especially amnesty) before doing something about the illegal inflow of immigrants is like pissing in the wind, to borrow a phrase from the French.
We have both the technology and ability to effectively seal the border. If anyone argues that we can’t, wise up. If you can see your neighbor’s backyard via Google Earth just for shits and giggles, you can bet the advanced technology is available to monitor and alert illegal traffic along our open borders. We’re not talking about inspecting concealed cargo, we’re talking about humans running across the desert.
Until politicians get serious about the problem, talking about solutions is futile. And Sen. John McCain should take a long ride with Sen. Kennedy.
April 7th, 2006 at 11:22 am
The border can not be sealed from terrorist. True you can stop illegals. But if someone wants to get in they will get in.
The British and Irish had helicopter patrols, army watch towers, machine gun posts, army patrols, walls, electonic survilance, road blocks you name it is was on the border in greater density then America will be able to muster on the Mexican border and it stopped very little terrorists.
The British have more troops in Northern Ireland then they have in Iraq and they have scaled back the troops in Northern Ireland dramatically.
April 8th, 2006 at 7:03 am
Krauthammer is quite a fan of walls, it seems. First he embraced the one being built through Palestinian olive groves. Now he wants one along the Mexican border.
You tax dollars at workâ€â€Ã‚ iin BOTH cases.
April 8th, 2006 at 8:40 am
Skip, have you noticed how well the wall in Israel has worked in preventing terrorist attacks? Building a wall here wouldn’t have to be a constant wall. Just a wall that funnels people into easily guarded checkpoints.
In fact, I’d build a double wall with a road inbetween. I’d dig the second wall 10 feet into the ground too.