Every day we see news about the new influx of “immigrants” coming north across our border with Mexico, all of which are literally illegally entering the United States. Many people in our country feel sorry for these children and their families, and I have sympathy for them as well. Unfortunately, sympathy does not change the status of an “illegal” to “legal” in any proper or legal manner.

The United States should begin to be serious about closing the borders, especially the border with our neighbor Mexico. 

My suggestions are:
1) From the White House, the President of the United States needs to announce to the governments of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras et al that we will no longer tolerate their citizens entering the United States illegally. That from now on, those who wish to immigrate to the United States do so legally.

2) Also from the White House, foreigners who are considering entering the United States illegally from Mexico will be told: you will be shipped back across the border into Mexico, or if they are really needy, be flown home at our expense. (Please America citizens, take a lesson from the successful efforts by Australia to reduce illegal immigration: they actually turn ships around at sea, and they do fly some immigrants home at Australia’s expense.)

3) Every governor in a border state (California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas) should announce that they will no longer give taxpayer-funded benefits to persons who cannot demonstrate that they are here legally. These benefits that they can no longer expect to receive are: welfare payments, food stamps or EBT cards, medical care, public education, and driver’s licenses, and in-state (resident) tuition rates at the various State sponsored colleges and universities. These immigrants have no right to receive payments in any form that are supported by tax-paying United States citizens.

(I am a California resident, and I always vote against such misuse, in my view, of taxpayer donations to those not legally in California. Unfortunately Californians continue to elect liberal legislators in the State Senate and State Assembly. In the last general election, California voters approved Proposition 31, which gives the State Legislature the authority to increase taxes without the consent of the voters. Does anyone believe that the Legislature will act in the best interests of the generous taxpayers?)

If my suggestions are followed, I believe that the flood of immigrants would stop immediately, especially those that believe simply by their presence in the United States that they are due all the benefits of citizens, and in many cases, due more than the benefits that citizens receive, e.g. in-state resident tuition rates.

I ask that all readers pass this appeal to their elected officials, statewide and federal, and to their friends, family, colleagues, and other members of their networks. I believe that there are sufficient folks in America to put extreme pressure on elected officials who do not get our permission to give our hard-earned money to illegal visitors to the United States, and we need to “lay-off” any of these officials who do not follow this appeal.

Jim Dick is a California resident, also a lifetime conservative.