Americans Need to Get Serious About Curbing Immigration
By William K. Shearer
Constitution Party Chairman Emeritus
March 2002
In his State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, President George W. Bush addressed the subject of "Homeland Security," saying:
"Time and distance from the events of Sept. 11 will not make us safer unless we act on its lessons. America is no longer protected by vast oceans. We are protected from attack only by vigorous action abroad and increased vigilance at home."
Yet, in his address, the President was silent on one of the greatest threats to America’s homeland security: the vast number of immigrants - - legal and illegal - - entering the United States. This country needs to drastically reduce legal immigration, and completely stop illegal immigration, including deportation of those who have entered the United States in violation of its laws.
The President can rail all he wants to about nations abroad that support terrorism, but the fact is that the United States admits, without adequate screening or control, thousands upon thousands of aliens from the very nation’s the President condemns as sponsors of terrorism, such as the Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Libya.
In 1998, for instance, from these five named countries alone, the United States admitted over 47,000 people: 14,270 immigrants, 4,094 business visitors, 27,068 tourists, 1,064 students, and 578 temporary workers.
The United States can bomb countries all over the world, but to what avail is it when the floodgates have been opened to allow thousands of terrorists or potential terrorists to enter our own country? Where is the "homeland security" in such a policy?
The fact is that, today, 25 percent of those incarcerated in Federal prisons are immigrants. In many areas, a high percentage of felonies, burglaries, and auto thefts are committed by illegal aliens.
If the President wants to get serious about homeland security, he should start with reform of the immigration system which encourages the very evils against which he purports to lead. Particularly, it is time for a zero tolerance of illegal immigration and of tax funded benefits for illegal aliens.
It is absolutely incomprehensible how the politicians and bureaucrats are willing to sack our own citizens and taxpayers to fund benefits for illegals.
On January 17, 2002, Associated Press (AP) reported from Los Angeles that:
"A tight state budget will likely limit raises for faculty and staff members in the University of California system and could lead to tuition increases to fund more competitive salaries, UC officials said yesterday."
At present, UC tuition for California residents is about $4,000 a year. Out-of-state tuition, on the other hand, is $10,704. But we are told that financial demands of the system are sufficiently strained to necessitate a tuition increase for college students who are California citizens.
On the very same day that the cited AP story was published, the Board of Regents of the University of California voted to allow illegal immigrant students to pay the same tuition as California residents. This change is estimated to cost the State from $1.3 million to $2.6 million this year.
So, the University system can’t increase teachers salaries; or in the alternative, it has to raise tuitions paid by Californians; but can afford million dollar tuition subsidies to illegal aliens. It is enough to make a preacher cuss!
The members of the Board of Regents who voted for the subsidy to illegal aliens ought to be fired. The Immigration and Naturalization Service should pick up every illegal alien who tries to enroll at a University or college, and send the illegals back to their countries of origin to be supported by the governments of those countries.
The President and Congress ought to put a moratorium on further immigration until the immigration laws can be revised to protect Americans, including a drastic reduction in the numbers of legal immigrants admitted to this country each year.
"Homeland security" should be more than a slogan to generate public support for U.S. military adventures abroad.
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William K. Shearer, whose tenure as Chairman of the Constitution Party ended in 1999, is a resident of Lemon Grove, California
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http://www.constitutionparty.com/shearer/get_serious_on_immigration.htm