It was disappointing to read Bob Allen’s article titled “Conservative evangelicals call for immigration reform” in the May 27 Religious Herald. The article recommended immigration reform and those quoted recommended providing illegals presently in the U.S. what they call “an earned pathway to citizenship.”
The popular call by pro-amnesty groups is the call for “Comprehensive Immigration.” The fact is, we have a comprehensive immigration plan — we have had for years. It allows for over a million people to immigrate legally to the U.S. annually, far more than any other country. Our immigration plan allows for family reunification, guest workers (both high tech and laborers), asylum seekers and adoptions. The only part of our immigration policy not working is enforcement. As a result the U.S. has over one million crossing our borders illegally each year.
In 1986 the U.S. passed an immigration bill giving amnesty to three million illegals. Pro-amnesty supporters use that bill signed by President Reagan as support for passing another bill giving amnesty to the estimated 12 million illegals now in the U.S.
President Reagan was not a supporter of amnesty, but after long lobbying by organizations, select politicians, special interests and after including several law enforcement provisions and promises to enforce those provisions to prevent future illegal immigration, the president reluctantly signed the bill. It was marketed as a onetime deal. It was estimated that 300,000 illegals were in the country. The number turned out to be three million. Once the three million became citizens, several million family members became eligible. Based on the 1986 amnesty the estimate of the present 12 million illegals may be 15 million or more and once given amnesty, 20 or 30 million family members will follow.
Our objective needs to be to secure our border. Foreigners have disregarded and disrespected our border laws too long. Their disregard and disrespect have cost us billions. We need to enforce the laws now on the books. However, the most effective action to secure our border is to let it be known that anyone crossing our border illegally will be deported once identified — no exceptions. Allowing present illegals to stay under any circumstances is just inviting and encouraging millions more to cross our border illegally.
I disagree with those who say you can’t send 12 million illegals back. We can by passing a law giving all illegals six months to return to their homeland. If they leave voluntarily they will be allowed to take accumulated assets with them. If illegals are identified after six months they will be deported without the privilege of taking their assets. Many illegals will leave voluntarily. We enforce our present laws and the remainder will leave by “attrition through enforcement.”
I encourage Southern Baptists and all religious groups to look closely at what our government and churches are doing at home and throughout the world to help and show compassion to the poor, hungry and needy. We are doing much. We have plenty of opportunities to continue our benevolence without supporting a movement (amnesty, or “an earned path to citizenship”) that is unfair to the millions who have obeyed the law and entered the U.S. the legal way and makes it more difficult for us to secure our border.
Bland Franklin, Midlothian, Va.