While the president did an outstanding job articulating America’s security interests overseas, he regrettably renewed his call for amnesty for illegal aliens. I’m not sure how the term is defined at the White House, but when the president says he wants to “resolve the status of illegal immigrants already in the country,” he’s talking about amnesty.
We’re going to pay very close attention to the debate on Capitol Hill because last year, Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid initially objected to an amendment that would have barred illegal aliens with criminal convictions from gaining citizenship. Illegal immigration is a homeland security issue and the safety of the American public must not be compromised in a rush to reach a “comprehensive reform” plan.
Yesterday in Baltimore, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in an unmarked van were approached in a convenience store parking lot by a group of illegal aliens looking for work. The ICE agents determined that all 24 men were illegal aliens. Six had criminal records, eight had failed to comply with deportation orders, and one man had been caught at the border four times!
A spokeswoman for Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon said that the arrests highlighted the need for a day- laborer center in the city. Really? What these arrests actually reveal, however, is the need for Congress to pass an immigration bill that first and foremost defends America’s homeland security and protects our families by keeps criminals off our streets!
(Gary Bauer; End- of-Day; Jan. 24, 2007)
