Immigration

 

America is a nation of immigrants and is the most powerful and free society in the world. In order to grow and remain successful, the United States must continue to welcome talented and hardworking people who recognize the benefits and value of a free society based on the Rule of Law, and who seek active participation as citizens or legal temporary workers. Current U.S. immigration laws have not been updated in a timely manner in order to correspond with the best interests of the nation and with the fundamental principles of the American people.

 

There is a need for additional skilled and unskilled labor in this country. At this time, more than 11.5 million illegal immigrants are present in the U.S. Approximately 8 million of those illegal immigrants actively participate in the national labor force making up approximately 5.2% of the overall labor force.  

 

Numerous industries have stated openly that their companies rely heavily on immigrants to make up their workforce while the number of available visas and work permits is far below the number requested. Because immigrants are aware of the available jobs, many choose to break the law by entering the U.S. illegally. Because employers need immigrant workers, many employers choose to break the law by hiring them in order to remain competitive in the global market.  

 

This pattern has existed for a long time and has been enabled by antiquated immigration laws not updated by Congress, inadequate policy development and implementation, and federal administrations that have failed to provide appropriate and adequate support and resources for the enforcement of the law. When administrators of the law fail to enforce the law, it is a dereliction of their fiduciary duty. Ignoring continued law breaking devalues the concept of the Rule of Law in the U.S., and breaks down the entire legal system. The U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of all citizens and grants them equal protection under the law as opposed to the arbitrary and capricious application of the law by administrators.

 

It is a felony and a serious federal crime to be present in the United States for any period of time without government permission (8 U.S. Code § 1325 - Improper Entry by Alien). Maintaining proper border security is a fundamental obligation of every sovereign nation so as to maintain law and order and to ensure the health and safety of its citizens.   

 

Due to outdated immigration and border security laws and the repeated lack of enforcement of them, Congress must update the laws, and then the administration is obligated to execute them. The revised immigration laws must be designed to encourage beneficial and lawful immigration while discouraging criminal behavior, and must give the administrators of the law the tools necessary to enforce them. The revised laws must be honest, pragmatic, and comprehensive. They must provide practical, streamlined, and accelerated methods for obtaining legal status through temporary visas or pathways to citizenship without nullifying the concept of the Rule of Law in the U.S. through blanket amnesty or lack of enforcement.

 

As the only nation of its kind, America must always be a symbol of hope and a haven for those who value the extraordinary freedoms and responsibilities that are unique to the American citizen.