From the Desk of Paul D. Perry

Paul D. Perry

Published on June 10, 2007

Border Control

Some regard the terms "illegal immigrant" and "illegal alien" as offensive. Perhaps some see these terms as rude. I find the terms useful because they are precise. An illegal immigrant or alien is one who has immigrated to another country without following the legal requirements of the country they visit or even live in. Some in the media avoid the term illegal immigrant altogether, substituting the word migrant for all those who wish to come into our country, no matter the legality of their method or status. There seems to be a desire to focus the debate on immigration by controlling the language used. Let's get beyond verbiage and get to the heart of the matter. In the long run, we cannot tolerate the mass violation of our own laws by foreigners.

It is a fact that people from around the world desire to move, at least temporarily, to our country. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and its Eastern European allies built fences and walls to keep their populations from leaving their impoverished and harshly ruled countries. Many of their citizens fled to nations in Western Europe. Many of those same people wished to eventually emigrate to the United States. Now some in our country want to build fences and walls to keep illegal immigrants from entering the good old U.S.A.

Every other country to which I can find a reference, with a central government worthy of the name, makes an effort to control immigration into their country. Ironically, Mexico uses physical barriers and armed patrols to control those who want to cross into their country from Central American countries, such as Guatemala. Controlling immigration is an acknowledged right in most of world, as well as with anyone who has common sense.

Those of us who have visited Mexico know that it can be a very hospitable country. However, the Mexican government mandates that visitors file certain paperwork and follow specific rules. If you do not do so, you risk deportation. Even a tourist is required to fill out a short form declaring where you are staying on vacation, along with other information. It is stated on that form that the tourist must leave the country within a certain number of months. That particular form must be delivered to Mexican authorities on arrival. The Mexican government also issues you a tourist card, and that card is supposed to be on your person at all times while in Mexico.

There are other rules for U.S. citizens who wish to stay for more extended periods. From what I know, the Mexican government's rules seem reasonable: A foreign citizen may not for the most part engage in politics, you need special paperwork in order to work in Mexico and even naturalized citizens may not hold public office. All these conditions, while restrictive, seem reasonable to me.

It follows that the United States has a right and an obligation to its citizens to control immigration. There is the concurrent reality that our economy has benefited from Mexican labor over the years and there is a long history of Mexican national employment in the United States. Much of that employment has been legal. Many think of agricultural or construction-oriented labor when the issue comes up. Most are unaware that Mexican nationals worked in defense plants during World War Two, freeing up many U.S. males for military duty in that conflict. Some even served in our armed forces, and some are serving in the U.S. armed forces now.

For many years, Mexican nationals were employed in the United States both legally and illegally, but it was rare for the workers, usually male, to bring their families. In recent years, federal court decisions have mandated that we must educate the children of even illegal aliens. I believe the expense of providing this and other benefits, such as medical care, in our society to people who have made their way here illegally is an unfair burden on the taxpayer. In effect, our courts have through their rulings mandated benefits for illegal immigrants. Specifically, they have provided incentives for illegal aliens to bring their families. The problem has been exacerbated by lax border enforcement.

It is now imperative that we control our borders. A good argument can be made that our economy needs a certain amount of immigrant labor in order to function. That should not be used as an excuse by our national or even state government to leave our borders unpoliced.

With my Cold War-era memories of East Germans being arrested and even shot by their own police as they tried to cross walls and barbed wire in order to leave their own country, a U.S. wall to keep people out is not something I look forward to. However, in certain areas we may need to employ more physical barriers, such as fences, in order to re-establish control over our own borders. I think that there are more advanced surveillance technologies--backed with a proper commitment of manpower--that could do more to help us put proper safeguards in place on our borders.

I am in favor of a regulated guest worker program for some who wish to work. I am also in favor of reasonable legal immigration. Neither activity should be used as an excuse to prevent us from: controlling our borders, setting limits on the numbers of immigrants or workers or knowing the identity of each and every person who either visits or wishes to immigrate to the United States. In these times, our nation should do no less.

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Paul D. Perry

Border Control