Illegal Immigration: What I Saw On The Border

By Larry D. Dick

Since May of 2006, Operation Jump Start, a joint effort between National Guard troops and federal agents, has stepped up operations to secure the border between the southwest states and Mexico. Originally designed as a temporary response to the flood of illegals into the United States, Operation Jump Start has successfully reduced the number of illegals crossing our border. Implementation of Operation Jump Start has allowed the federal government to train additional agents for the front lines, yet important questions and concerns remain unanswered as Operation Jump Start comes to an end. Unfortunately, too many are left asking, `what are we to do now'?

Chief among those concerns is the overarching need for the federal government to secure our porous border. In the absence of the federal government keeping its commitment, the state of California must assume the mantle of responsibility. If we cannot count on our federal government to secure our border, then our state must meet the challenge. The State of Texas has an aggressive program of increased patrol and law enforcement training along its border, and the results are noteworthy. That is why I strongly support former Senator Haynes' idea of creating the California Border Patrol as a way of bolstering border security. We must do everything in our power to ensure that this idea remains a top priority for our representatives.

Illegal immigrants undermine our country's rule of law, but most problematic are the actions of illegals who cross our border and commit violent felonies in our neighborhoods, therefore ensuing cost to taxpayers. Current cost estimation for incarcerating criminal illegal immigrants in California range anywhere from $750 million to over $1 billion.

Not only is incarceration of illegals a large financial burden to taxpayers, the problem becomes worse when known illegal immigrants are not deported because the hands of front line law enforcement are tied.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents can train police officers to identify illegal immigrants in our jails and have them deported. These services are available to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at no additional cost to our taxpayers. It is time we make this part of standard operating procedure in our jails! With proper ICE training, law enforcement can be as effective with a laptop as with a firearm. Through the use of innovation and sophisticated high technology tools, we can remove illegal immigrants from the system more efficiently. It is time we take action.

Finally, the state needs to help employers identify illegal immigrants and consistently enforce laws preventing employers from hiring them. Issuing tamper-proof ID cards and increasing fines and penalties for those companies that knowingly break the law are just two suggestions to make the workplace more hostile to the people who have cut in line to be here. Following the rule of law applies to our citizens as much as it does to illegals.

There is no doubt that illegal immigration has been a hot-button political issue for some time. While our leaders have debated the issue, it is clear too little has been done to address the core issues associated with the crisis. After my trip to the border I'm left with the clear conviction that, Job One: To Secure Our Border, can be accomplished by continued interdiction by trained law enforcement. We need to unshackle our correctional staff and require illegals held in our jails to be returned to their country of origin. Lastly, we must once and for all remove the financial incentives (free housing, free education and free medical care) which serve as the true motivation of those wishing to enter our country illegally.

Illegal immigration is a threat to our national security. It is time we get Job One done.