My church is the primary support of an orphanage in Mexico. We pay most, if not all, of the staff salaries, and continually send both money and people to improve and expand the facilities. These mission trips occur at least once a year. Since Hurricane Katrina, other Sovereign Grace churches have pitched in so that our commitment to the orphanage is met and our rebuilding can continue, but in a very real sense the orphanage is “our baby” and we support it. A group of members just went down on a construction and medical missions trip, and came back with the report of work done and lives changed. The stories are heartbreaking. Grinding poverty. Terrible conditions. One woman was brought by her parents to Texas when she was a toddler. She grew up in Texas, and married an American. They had a daughter, now three years old. This woman was deported, with her American daughter, and her husband subsequently divorced her. He pays no support whatsoever, and as it turns out, he was the one who reported her to ICE. This woman is angry and bitter. Who can blame her? Another woman’s husband crossed the border and found work in El Paso. He wanted her to join him but she was afraid to cross the river, and didn’t want to leave her children and grandchildren. These kind of stories will break your heart. How can we, as a nation, allow this?
Hard cases make bad law. It is not the job of the American government to cater to Mexican citizens, or citizens of any other nation but the United States. It will not be helpful to allow our nation, or even more parts of it, to turn into a third world country. The video at that link pretty much says it all, and this quote from an illegal immigrant on why Kentucky is better than California is icing on the cake:
“We’re in a state where there’s nothing but Americans. The police control the streets. It’s clean, no gangs. California now resembles Mexico — everyone thinks like in Mexico. California’s broken.”
Can we afford up to 60 million new legal residents/future citizens in a relatively short period of time, especially when most of them come from a country that is considerably more socialist than ours, with a language in common, with historical claims (whether you think the claims are legitimate or not is irrelevant; many Mexicans do) on our land? Why 60 million? Somewhere between 12 and 20 million illegals are here. Once they are given legal standing, they’ll be bringing in family members. Even if only four apiece, that’s 60 million. And make no mistake, just because the current legislation includes merit-based immigration, they’ll still come. Either legally or illegally, they will come because this legislation does nothing to stop it. And Trent Lott (R) is publicly saying that he’s going to strip out the amendments the open borders crowd doesn’t like in committee. Sixty million is a hard number to envision. Maybe this will help – it’s the total population of the following states put together:
According to the 2000 census, the figure of 60 million brand new residents is equivalent to the entire current state populations of the following states:
| Alabama – 4,351,999 Alaska – 614,010 Arizona – 4,668,631 Arkansas – 2,538,303 Colorado – 3,970,971 Connecticut – 3,274,069 Delaware – 743,603 Hawaii – 1,193,001 Idaho – 1,228,684 Iowa – 2,862,447 Kansas – 2,629,067 Kentucky – 3,936,499 Maine – 1,244,250 |
Maryland – 5,134,808 Mississippi – 2,752,092 Missouri – 5,438,559 Montana – 880,453 Nebraska – 1,662,719 Nevada – 1,746,898 New Hampshire – 1,185,048 New Mexico – 1,736,931 North Dakota – 638,244 South Dakota – 738,171 Vermont – 590,883 District of Columbia – 523,124 |
| TOTAL 56.3 Million | |
And yet all the facts and logical arguments in the world whither in the face of a woman who was raised here, considers herself an American, and is the mother of an American citizen. But the question must be asked: Do Americans suffering from illegal immigration deserve protection?
I think most Americans will accept an amnesty if Congress will actually build the fence they promised us, enforces the current laws regarding employers who rely on illegal (all-but-slave) labor, and actually solves the problem. Unfortunately this bill doesn’t do it. It’s just another slap in the face by a recalcitrant Congress who is determined to ignore the will of the people in this matter.
So, how should Christians respond? If the plight of Mexicans and Central Americans is breaking our hearts, there are better ways to help them than importing their citizens. (If suffering is the criteria that drives our immigration policy, why not airlift most of Darfur over here – they are suffering a great deal more than the average Mexican; their very lives are at risk.) Christians should support churches and private charities. We should encourage our government to make it easy for banks to make micro-loans, and continue with trade policies that will increase the ability of people to earn money. Above all, promote capitalism in every way possible. It is their own governments who are most harming their citizens, and it is not the place of our government to prop up failing leftist and socialist governments – especially at the expense of the citizens the US government is actually supposed to be serving.
Update: I noted a bit of a parallel to my statement above, “It is their own governments who are most harming their citizens, and it is not the place of our government to prop up failing leftist and socialist governments – especially at the expense of the citizens the US government is actually supposed to be serving.” in a completely unrelated post over at Captains Quarters regarding the Hamas takeover of the Gaza strip. Ed writes,
Gaza residents are in a very bad position. Their only hope for survival may be to conduct an uprising against Hamas, because their only other option might be starvation.
UPDATE: Grumpy Old Man asks me in the comments, “have you heard yourself condemning 1.5 million sous to slow starvation?” That’s not what I’m doing. They chose Hamas; they need to get rid of them. It isn’t our job to rescue them from themselves again. If they choose starvation over acknowledging the evil they supported, that’s entirely the choice of the Palestinians in Gaza.
The governments of Mexico, Guatemala, and other nations that export their poor to America as a political safety valve to stop or delay some well-deserved revolutions are in office at the sufferance of their citizens; people who have declined to stay and try to fix their own countries, and declined to undergo the (ridiculously and unnecessarily long, drawn-out) legal process to become Americans. At what point do we say, “enough” ? And at what point do we finally hold American businesses accountable for their lawbreaking which has contributed so mightily to this problem? The addition to government subsidized “cheap” labor has cost us all – including the countries from which they draw their labor – a great deal.
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, The Virtuous Republic, Right Truth, The Pet Haven Blog, Stuck On Stupid, The Amboy Times, Leaning Straight Up, Pet’s Garden Blog, Rightlinx, third world county, Right Celebrity, Woman Honor Thyself, Stageleft, Wake Up America, stikNstein… has no mercy, The Uncooperative Blogger, Pirate’s Cove, Nuke’s news and views, The Right Nation, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Church and State, Right Pundits, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Random Yak, Azamatterofact, DeMediacratic Nation, Adam’s Blog, Maggie’s Notebook, Webloggin, The Bullwinkle Blog, Cao’s Blog, The Florida Masochist, , Jo’s Cafe, Conservative Cat, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Allie Is Wired, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, High Desert Wanderer, OTB Sports, The Yankee Sailor, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
I will support an amnesty IF, and only if, it is offered to those illegal aliens who voluntarily leave and get in the back of the line for legal immigration.
Heck, even God, who offers “amnesty” (well, pardon) to all has a condition: repentance and submission to His already proclaimed will.
And that, in part (but only in part), is a reason I supported our pastor’s desire toi begin an outreach to the latino community in America’s Third World County. After all, if the Gospel is preached to them hinestly, it will include a clear teaching on Romans 13 and other passages. Any genuine converts among the illegal community (roughly 90%+ of the latinos in this county) will deport themselves. To do otherwise would be unchristian.
Amnesty is out of the question, period. If you want to solve the problem stop attracting them with amnesty. A fence will help , but it would be compromised if we keep the ‘magnets” to come here.
We need to stop doing business with businesses that hire illegals. Report illegals and businesses hiring illegals to local,state, and federal officials. Put pressure on local governments to let police do their job, ask legal status on stops. Stop sanctuary cities. As an American citizen it is your obligation to do so . You can’t deny 9/11 like some try with the Holucost, Secure the Border.
Business receive cheap labor, but American taxpayers foot the BILL. I’d rather pay more for lettuce and cut my own grass.