Mention illegal immigration and it is likely to strike a cord with many people in different ways. There are those that feel compassion for the immigrants that enter our country illegally for the purpose of supporting their family, and there are those that see illegal immigration as a threat to our national sovereignty and way of life. As I have said before, there are only 3 things that we citizens should rightly expect from our government: Protecting the constitution and the rights it guarantees, creating an environment where the economy is allowed to grow, and enforcing our laws. I see the illegal immigration issue as affecting all three of these areas and as such must be addressed.

By turning our backs on this problem we are condemning those here illegally to a life that is essentially slavery. If the owner of a business has chosen to expand his business and the predominant wage for that type of work in that area is, for example, $12/hour, by the time the employer pays social security, health insurance, workers compensation, vacation and sick time, he is actually having to pay $18/hour or more to hire an American or legal immigrant worker. But, if he can hire someone who is in the country illegally, the employer can pay that worker as little as $5/hour with no other taxes or benefits to pay for that worker. Because a person is in this country illegally, they have nowhere to turn for help or for protection from unscrupulous employers. They cannot command a living wage, let alone a predominant wage. Since they have no health care insurance, illegal workers turn to emergency services for even routine medical care, thereby increasing the cost of medical care to all Americans. They are forced to live in substandard housing with as many as 30 people living in a single family dwelling.

As a compassionate nation that believes that all men are created equal, we cannot allow this to happen within our borders. Of course we have all heard the claims that they perform a service that Americans won’t do. Ironically, that is exactly the same argument that farmers and businessmen used to support slavery in this country from the time the Republic was founded until the end of the Civil War. 40 years ago when immigration laws were changed, tomato farmers claimed that their crop would rot in the field without the cheap labor illegal immigrants provided. The crops did not rot in the field, rather, some enterprising individuals created machinery to harvest the tomatoes, ultimately increasing efficiencies and lowering costs to the consumers.

Unless we remove the incentives that attract people from outside our borders to sneak across, there is no fence or security system that will stop illegal immigration. Unless we can stop illegal immigration, giving amnesty to those that are already here will only create a vacuum that will entice and attract more illegal aliens. The way to remove the incentive is to place severe penalties on employers that hire illegal aliens. As the state of Arizona has already proven, as you eliminate the job opportunities, illegal aliens will leave the area and move to where there are jobs available.

The cost of illegal immigration on our economy is staggering. Last year the Los Angles Times published some astounding statistics. According to the L.A. Times 95% of all warrants for murder in L.A. County are for illegal aliens, 35% of all inmates in California detention centers are here illegally, 60% of all HUD occupants are illegal aliens, and 40% of all workers in L.A. County are working for cash and not paying taxes because they are predominately illegal. The cost to our corrections facilities, our social services, our hospitals, and the loss of tax revenue add up to a potentially devastating amount that law abiding, tax paying citizens must pay for.

One of the things that has made this country the greatest country on the planet is people leaving their homeland and migrating to the U.S. They bring with them their ideas, their talents, and their drive to become successful because they know that this is the land of opportunity. Over this country’s history we have attracted the best and the brightest from around the world. If we are to keep this country the land of opportunity, we must enforce our laws.