Respecting the Integrity of Our Borders and Our Immigrants

Let's try and touch base with reality here:

First, we must control our borders. The sieves along our borders with Mexico and Canada are unacceptable. Terrorists and criminals move across with the same ease as immigrants.

We need to respect our sovereignty enough to stop this disgrace

Second, America truly needs the immigrants who come here in search of a better life. America's strongest foundation is the intellect and sweat of immigrants. We need to be thankful for the transfusion of new blood they bring.

Never forget: we are all immigrants. Even those who like to call themselves "Native" Americans migrated here during the last major Ice Age.

We need to respect the hard work of immigrants -- documented and undocumented -- who give an honest day's work for their pay: something that cannot be said for many native-born Americans.

Neither party has the guts nor the rationality to deal with this.

As President:

1. I would build an impenetrable border barrier and staff the Border Patrol to the level it requires. If Congress does not fund those, then they will be the subject of an unrelenting campaign to emphasize their usual cowardice.

All additional funds will be spent directly at the border and not a dime more for Washington bureaucrats at INS. If those bureaucrats worked half as hard as the average immigrant in a California vineyard or tomato field, we'd have a system that actually worked.

2. I would vastly increase the number of immigrants who are allowed to legally become American citizens.

This would be accompanied by increases in resources to conduct background checks before granting citizenship in order to reduce the chances of granting citizenship to criminals and other terrorists. I would allow undocumented workers already living in the United States to apply for this program.

To avoid bloating the INS beyond its current intolerable level of lethargic obesity, I would outsource the processing to the private sector. This is also an option for the additional armed force needed to secure our borders.

3. I would begin a guest-worker program.

All guest workers would be vetted for criminal or other undesirable backgrounds.

Employers would pay 100-percent of the vetting.

In addition, Employers would need to comply with an actively monitored program to assure that guest workers are paid at least the minimum wage, and that the worker returns to their home country before their "guest visa" expires. Any medical expenses or other social services provided to the guest worker would be reimbursed by the employer.

Employers would be subject to fines for every guest worker who is not confirmed as having properly left the United States according to the terms of their visas.

To assure compliance with this and the medical and social service reimbursement provisions, employers who wish to be eligible for the program would have to post a bond equal to ten times the salary paid to the worker.

The failure to deal with reality always makes a problem harder. We must grasp reality firmly otherwise we'll get another 9-11 wake-up message.