Rick Perry on Immigration

Texas Governor Rick Perry has been very criticized on many issues since announcing his Presidential campaign in August.  Some of that criticism has been understandable for those who did not previously know his record, and some of it has just been ridiculous.  Either way, I believe people should truly listen to his explanations, rather than listen to the media and those who want him to fail for the answer.  It is not fair that one candidate is so thoroughly vetted, while others are getting overlooked and nearly handed the nomination, all because the media has decided who they like best.

Illegal immigration and border security are two issues the governor has been criticized on the most harshly.  Most of the country had never heard of Rick Perry before he ran for president, nor did they know anything about his record.  Naturally, they would look to the media to tell them.  Since, from the start, the media has not been fond of Gov. Perry, they used this given opportunity to come down hard on him and sink his poll numbers.  They continue to lift up the candidates they like best, which will mean real trouble if people vote for them simply based on that.  That's another post, though.

When you look at Rick Perry's immigration stance on the surface, it does look weak.  He offered in-state tuition to children of illegals, and he does not support a border fence.  That is what the media will tell you.  They want you to believe every word they say.  When you really look deeper into his true record, though, you see that there are things the media is not telling you. 

When people say that the governor is opposed to a border fence, it sounds like he is for open borders.  Simply not supporting a border fence is not a border security position.  Being opposed to a border fence means that, since he is the only candidate with experience in dealing with the border firsthand, he believes a fence is not the only solution.  We need boots on the ground, something the federal government has repeatedly denied to give him more of.  What he really said was that a continual fence along the entire border was not the solution; he did not say he supports taking the current fence down.  Also, if you have ever been to the border, you would know that building a 1,200 mile fence along the entire thing would be horribly expensive, along with being bad for the environment, public and private.  He does support fences in strategically placed areas.  While you're thinking about weak stances on border security, why aren't the other candidates called weak on border security?  They could be, with good reason:  1) None of them have actual experience on the border; they just read about it and take opinions from that (I'm not saying that is their fault, but they do not have that experience), and 2) Every one of them believes a fence is the solution; and people actually do jump over that fence.  It could not possibly be the only solution.

People are overlooking the good things, which are clearly visible, that the governor has done on the border.  He opposes amnesty for illegals.  He signed a bill refusing them drivers' licenses.  He does not offer them Social Security or Medicare benefits.  That is only touching on what the governor has done on the border.

NumbersUSA gives every candidate a grade on issues they find important.  They have given the governor a D- on illegal immigration, the same grade given to Mitt Romney.  Michele Bachmann received a B-, the highest grade of the whole field.  This proves that their grades are not credible.  In fact, they state on their website, "These are not Report Cards on past actions, which matter but not as much as what these politicians now say in the news media or on official websites.  These grades and ratings are about what a Hopeful says a President should do about immigration.  We look at contradictions and changes in stances.  We generally give the most weight to the most recent statements and actions."  Based on that, they are not giving credible information.  Gov. Perry has never changed his stance on immigration.  Have any of the other candidates?  We do not know.  The only person whose position on immigration and border security matters, at least to the media, is Gov. Perry.  The rest of the candidates have coincidentally taken the same stanceo.  None of them "can" be attacked for it that way.  When the only candidate with real border experience has a different opinion than the people who have never governed that region, it ought to make people take a second look.

Illegal Immigration

It's amazing how fast the national media seems to move from one topic to the next, never missing a beat.  They are completely focused on convincing the American public that this or that is the issue they need to be worried the most about today (or this week, whatever they feel like this time).

The big issue was Social Security; the need to "reform" it, and the comments some people were making about it.  Now, the big issue in the news is illegal immigration.

If you are even the slightest bit informed, you know that illegal immigration is a problem.  A study released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) shows that illegal immigration costs federal and local taxpayers $100 billion a year.  No human mind can fully comprehend that.  Last year, there were approximately 11 million illegal immigrants, along with their U.S. born children, in the United States.  Even without doing the math, by looking at those two numbers side-by-side you can see how much this is costing us.  Per household, it does come out to roughly $1,000 a year.  Since illegal immigrants are not distributed evenly among the states, that rate is higher in states with higher illegal populations.  The prevention is not an easy job, but it is one that needs to start, beginning with the federal government doing their part to help.

The fence at the border between the United States and Mexico is the main thing being used to keep illegal immigrants out.  It is approximately 650 miles long, 21 feet high and 6 feet into the ground, cemented in a 3 foot wide trench.  It was made with 5,000 PSI concrete, making it a very strong fence.  Its physical strength, however, does not keep people who are determined to come in from coming.  They just jump over the fence, glad and at the same time, probably wondering how long it will take us to figure them out.

There are so many different opinions on how to secure the border, something that sorely needs to be done.  One was a bill proposed by Arizona governor Jan Brewer last year.  Immigration Law 1070 would require all immigrants to carry their registration or legal documents with them at all times and also gives police the right to question anyone who appears to be an illegal immigrant.  This sounds like a perfectly logical way to ensure your legal immigrants have the most opportunity to earn jobs, and also to ensure that dangerous illegals are not roaming the streets in your town.  This only presents a problem for those here illegally; if you are a legal immigrant, this will not affect you.

E-Verify screening is another option states can take advantage of to protect their population.  This national online database gives the immigration status of virtually everyone in the country.  Therefore, if your name is not on that list, you are not here legally.  This is a tremendous tool for employers to check someone's status before hiring them.  The Legal Workforce Act is currently pending in the House of Representatives, which would require all employers to use the E-Verify system before hiring an employee.  This would conflict with the bill that California governor Jerry Brown is getting ready to sign into law, which would not require employers to use E-Verify.

A fence on the border is one of the most debated issues right now.  Many are saying we need a better fence to keep illegals out.  However, statistics show that a fence will not keep them all out.  We have a fence right now, and people are still coming in.  That's not to say we should take the fence down.  What I'm saying is, we need additional assets to that fence in order for it to be as effective as possible.  Border agents are one of them.  We have thousands of border patrol agents on duty right now, standing guard at the border.  The sad thing is, many of these agents lose their lives protecting our border.  We need more help from our national government to further protect these agents.  Many of these agents are state-issued, meaning that the national government is not doing its part.

The use of more drones and "aviation assets" (to quote Texas Gov. Perry) are something we definitely need.  They will not completely take over border security, but rather add to what we have now.  More cameras to show us exactly where the "hot spots" for entering the U.S. are could also prove beneficial, for obvious reasons.

I'm not claiming to have all the answers on border security.  I don't think anyone does.  What I do know, though, is that we need all-hands-on-deck in order to get this under control.  The issue of illegal immigration is not something that will be solved overnight, nor will it be solved without the entire nation standing together to fix it.  We especially need our president to support drastic changes to immigration policy in general.  The border states are not the only ones to blame for immigration.  They should not be facing it on their own simply because they are the minority.  While it should be a state-issue (every state has its own specific needs), the rest of the country should be supportive of them and the federal government should be doing their part to aid them.

Immigration is a vital part of this nation, and is another side of what sets us apart..  Every other nation in the world has to have walls to keep people in; we have to have walls to keep people out!  Immigration is a great thing when done correctly.  We have a great system in place for obtaining legal citizenship, and it should remain that way.  We should be encouraging all those who come here to seek that citizenship the way thousands have for generations.  That system needs no change; what needs to be changed is how people are actually getting in, in the first place.

"One of the critical issues that we have to confront is illegal immigration, because this is a multi-headed Hydra that affects our economy, our health care, our education systems, our national security, and also our local criminality."  -Congressman Allen West.