President Trump’s actions announced Thursday and in previous days to protect our southern border from illegal immigrants should be welcomed by all Americans because they will protect our national security and reduce the flow of deadly illegal drugs into our country.
The president is right when he calls the entry of illegal immigrants gathered in caravans now traveling through Mexico “an invasion.” While his critics accuse the president of playing politics with the immigration issue, in reality he is fulfilling his responsibility to defend our nation by sending several thousand troops to protect our border and taking other actions.
In remarks at the White House on Thursday the president said he will require immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. to “lawfully present themselves” at a port of entry.
President Trump also announced the end of the “catch and release” policy under which illegal immigrants apprehended by U.S. law enforcement officers are given court dates and then released – enabling many to melt into the population, never show up in court and remain in the U.S. illegally.
"Illegal immigration affects the lives of all Americans. Illegal immigration hurts American workers; burdens American taxpayers; and undermines public safety; and places enormous strain on local schools, hospitals, and communities in general, taking precious resources away from the poorest Americans who need them most. Illegal immigration costs our country billions and billions of dollars each year."
"We’ve issued 40 million green cards since 1970, which means the permanent residency and a path to citizenship for many, many people. But we will not allow our generosity to be abused by those who would break our laws, defy our rules, violate our borders, break into our country illegally. We won’t allow it. Mass, uncontrolled immigration is especially unfair to the many wonderful, law-abiding immigrants already living here who followed the rules and waited their turn."
The president’s plan to review and tighten the controls over our immigrant asylum process also makes sense. As he pointed out, U.S. law requires that people applying for asylum need to show a “credible fear” of prosecution for political, religious or a small number of other factors – not simply that they are coming to America to escape poverty and improve their living standards.
We’ll know more about President Trump’s proposals next week, when he said he will issue a “comprehensive” executive order on immigration.
Kirk delves further into the emotionally charged "disconnect between politicians and influencers who manufacture ideas of open borders and ordinary citizens who are the emotional and ideological consumers of those same ideas," with a stark realization that will certain result in peril for our national sovereignty...
As President Trump said Thursday: "If these caravans are allowed into our country, only bigger and more emboldened caravans will follow – and you see that's what's happening now."
Once we lose our border protection, the road to citizenship, voting and welfare benefits for a flood of new immigrants will be all but paved.
Americans now buying caravan T-shirts – based on their emotions of guilt, compassion, and outrage – will gradually see those emotions replaced with fear, frustration, and resentment.
But by then it will be too late. Our nation will have already slid too far down the path of losing its identity. My advice to President Trump is to hold firm. Yes, America is a nation of immigrants – but the immigrants have to enter legally. Throwing open our borders to everyone who wants to enter is impractical and could cause grave harm to our nation and the American people.
