Enforcement Of Immigration Laws Has Nothing To Do With Race or Humanitarian Feelings
Randy L. Harrington
June 01, 2006
Enforcement of US law is not a humanitarian issue. Our laws should be enforced equally. Racial profiling is something that is not acceptable. Our United States Constitution demands that all laws will be applied equally, and that all persons under the law will be treated equally. Law enforcement officers, and judges are held to this standard of equal enforcement of the law. They do not have the luxury of deciding which criminals will be held accountable, and which ones will be allowed to go free. Laws are enacted in this country by action of our political representatives. These political representatives represent the good of those people who have a right to vote in this country.
Could I justify robbing a bank because I needed the money to support me or my family? What about murder? Can I commit a murder because I wanted a better life for me or my family? The need for a better living is generally not a defense under our laws.
If I rob a bank, or commit murder law enforcement officers, and judges are required by our law to hold me accountable for my actions, and I would not be allowed the defense of necessity to support my family.
Would our politicians be justified in changing the laws against robbery and murder because a group of my supporters decided to demonstrate and make a lot of noise asking that the laws against bank robbery, and murder be changed because I have the right to support my family through these endeavors?
Enforcement of our immigration law has nothing to do with humanitarian issues. Enforcement of our immigration laws is not a racial issue. The issue is, and ought to be the right to equal protection and enforcement of the law.
In the United States we have a law that makes it illegal to enter the country without permission; it is against the law to remain in this country without legal permission; and, it is against the law to work in this country without legal permission to do so. Those who violate our laws are known as criminals. We don’t have “illegal bank robbers”, and we don’t have “illegal murderers.” It is equally true that those who violate our immigration laws are not simply illegal aliens, but are criminal aliens.
There are many figures from the immigration demonstrations in Phoenix, and across the country. Estimates are that between 40% and 80% of those marching in support of illegal immigration, or immigration reform are actually in this country illegally. This is a problem for our politicians, and this is why our laws are not the product of “majority rules.” Our politicians are elected to represent the interests of their constituents. Constituency implies the right to vote. If 40% to 80% of those who took part in the mob protests seeking immigration reform were criminal aliens, then only 20% to 60% of those protesting had any right to seek change of our laws. This is why our interests as a whole are best served by politicians who don’t listen to mob demonstrators. If constituents are really disappointed in a politicians performance they can exercise their right of removal when they go to the polls to elect these representatives.
The problem as its exists today is a simple problem. It is against the law to enter this country without permission; it is against the law to remain in this country without legal permission; and, it is against the law to work in this country without legal permission to do so. Before we can reform our immigration laws we must first enforce them. By changing laws simply because their enforcement is uncomfortable will lead to nothing but anarchy. Soon we will alter our laws prohibiting drug smuggling, and then the sale of drugs to our children at school because it would be uncomfortable to deprive someone of the supposed right to support their family by selling our children drugs.
To simply change the law because it is uncomfortable to enforce does not serve the country well. Would making laws allowing bank robbery, and murder be justified because it is uncomfortable to enforce these laws? Consider that the depression in the 1930’s gave us Bonnie & Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, and various other bank robbers that began their robbery and murder sprees because they were hungry. Everybody was hungry during this bleak period in America. However, bank robbery and murder were never legalized for humanitarian purposes. History shows that the U.S. vigorously hunted down Bonnie & Clyde, and Baby Face Nelson, and brought a measure of justice for their illegal deeds.
The eyes of the world are on us and waiting to see how we handle the immigration enforcement problem. How can we help foreign governments secure their borders against insurgents, when we can’t secure our own border? How can we with a clear conscious export our principles of a free republic, when we can’t enforce the laws that we have established in our own country?
We should feel sorry that there are people in other countries that are hungry, living in poverty, and suffering. This is one of the reasons that we have given billions of dollars to Mexico, as well as other countries. However, just as we can’t ignore people who commit bank robbery, and murder, we must not ignore criminals who violate our immigration laws. The humanitarian aspect of immigration law enforcement must never replace the right to equal enforcement of the immigration laws. If you have entered this country illegally, or remain in this country illegally, or are employed in this country illegally, then you are a criminal, and regardless of the humanitarian aspects of the issue, you must be arrested, held accountable, and expelled from the United States.
2006 Randy L. Harrington. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Could I justify robbing a bank because I needed the money to support me or my family? What about murder? Can I commit a murder because I wanted a better life for me or my family? The need for a better living is generally not a defense under our laws.
If I rob a bank, or commit murder law enforcement officers, and judges are required by our law to hold me accountable for my actions, and I would not be allowed the defense of necessity to support my family.
Would our politicians be justified in changing the laws against robbery and murder because a group of my supporters decided to demonstrate and make a lot of noise asking that the laws against bank robbery, and murder be changed because I have the right to support my family through these endeavors?
Enforcement of our immigration law has nothing to do with humanitarian issues. Enforcement of our immigration laws is not a racial issue. The issue is, and ought to be the right to equal protection and enforcement of the law.
In the United States we have a law that makes it illegal to enter the country without permission; it is against the law to remain in this country without legal permission; and, it is against the law to work in this country without legal permission to do so. Those who violate our laws are known as criminals. We don’t have “illegal bank robbers”, and we don’t have “illegal murderers.” It is equally true that those who violate our immigration laws are not simply illegal aliens, but are criminal aliens.
There are many figures from the immigration demonstrations in Phoenix, and across the country. Estimates are that between 40% and 80% of those marching in support of illegal immigration, or immigration reform are actually in this country illegally. This is a problem for our politicians, and this is why our laws are not the product of “majority rules.” Our politicians are elected to represent the interests of their constituents. Constituency implies the right to vote. If 40% to 80% of those who took part in the mob protests seeking immigration reform were criminal aliens, then only 20% to 60% of those protesting had any right to seek change of our laws. This is why our interests as a whole are best served by politicians who don’t listen to mob demonstrators. If constituents are really disappointed in a politicians performance they can exercise their right of removal when they go to the polls to elect these representatives.
The problem as its exists today is a simple problem. It is against the law to enter this country without permission; it is against the law to remain in this country without legal permission; and, it is against the law to work in this country without legal permission to do so. Before we can reform our immigration laws we must first enforce them. By changing laws simply because their enforcement is uncomfortable will lead to nothing but anarchy. Soon we will alter our laws prohibiting drug smuggling, and then the sale of drugs to our children at school because it would be uncomfortable to deprive someone of the supposed right to support their family by selling our children drugs.
To simply change the law because it is uncomfortable to enforce does not serve the country well. Would making laws allowing bank robbery, and murder be justified because it is uncomfortable to enforce these laws? Consider that the depression in the 1930’s gave us Bonnie & Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, and various other bank robbers that began their robbery and murder sprees because they were hungry. Everybody was hungry during this bleak period in America. However, bank robbery and murder were never legalized for humanitarian purposes. History shows that the U.S. vigorously hunted down Bonnie & Clyde, and Baby Face Nelson, and brought a measure of justice for their illegal deeds.
The eyes of the world are on us and waiting to see how we handle the immigration enforcement problem. How can we help foreign governments secure their borders against insurgents, when we can’t secure our own border? How can we with a clear conscious export our principles of a free republic, when we can’t enforce the laws that we have established in our own country?
We should feel sorry that there are people in other countries that are hungry, living in poverty, and suffering. This is one of the reasons that we have given billions of dollars to Mexico, as well as other countries. However, just as we can’t ignore people who commit bank robbery, and murder, we must not ignore criminals who violate our immigration laws. The humanitarian aspect of immigration law enforcement must never replace the right to equal enforcement of the immigration laws. If you have entered this country illegally, or remain in this country illegally, or are employed in this country illegally, then you are a criminal, and regardless of the humanitarian aspects of the issue, you must be arrested, held accountable, and expelled from the United States.
2006 Randy L. Harrington. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.