Illegal Immigration/Border Control

By Dirk Allen Konopik

Position Statement and Rationale

Issue Stance: Negotiable

Strategy: Negotiable (Open to Knowledgeable Counsel)

Issue Stance:

Immediately reform Immigration in coordination with the Mexican government.

Immediately provide a window period of amnesty for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. (excluding dangerous criminals and/or high risks to national security).

Immediately task the National Guard with securing the southern border.

Strategy:

Sponsor/support legislation that would immediately pardon all illegal immigrants in America for a limited period of time.

Task the National Guard with securing the border.

Work with national business, education, community, and religious leaders to determine the most efficient and effective way of transitioning these individuals into mainstream America.

Work with Federal Agencies and the Mexican Government to address the consistent financially focused migration of Latin Americans through Mexico to America.

Rationale:

1. The security of America's southern border and current United States immigration system is broken. This is not due to any lack of effort by our vigilant and professional U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agents, but because the current method of security enforcement is impossible, inefficient, wasteful of taxpayer dollars, and unrealistic.

2. Here are the Facts:

Congress and the President have failed to address the Illegal Immigration issue in the United States.

There are over 11 Million (safe estimate) illegal immigrants in America and over 2 Million are in California.

There is no logical, socially acceptable, or economically viable way to deport this amount of people.

The Democratic Party controls the CA government.

Recently the CA legislature passed AB 131, the CA Dream Act, and the Republicans in the CA legislature could do nothing about it. http://multiamerican.scpr.org/2011/10/jerry-brown-signs-ab-131-second-part-of-california-dream-act/

The current Hispanic population in CA, based on the 2010 Census, is around 37.6%. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06000.html

Politically, many Hispanics tend to lean towards the Democratic Party because they believe that the Party cares more about them than the Republicans do.

As a strong majority of Hispanics are Catholic, at least culturally, when Hispanics vote for a liberal, Democratic Candidate, they are torn between politics and the commandments of God seeing how many Democratic Candidates are Pro-Choice, Support Homosexual Marriage, etc.

I believe that if the Hispanic community is provided a strong and viable Christian candidate who supports addressing the Illegal Immigration issue in an urgent and compassionate manner now, there is a good chance that I can earn their trust and gain their respect.

The reality is, without the vote and support of the CA Hispanic community for this 2012 U.S. Senate race, no Republican candidate stands a chance of winning.

So the question is, Do we want a Conservative Republican in the U.S. Senate representing CA or not?

If we do, I believe that this is the wisest, and most realistic, course of action to take to ensure the desired outcome.

3. Now, I know that many people will not agree with, or respect, my position and I want you to know that I definitely understand where you are coming from. I don't affirm or justify breaking the law, but our state and nation must move forward. Conditions are not ideal friends and I wish that everyone would follow just laws, American and Immigrant alike.

4. However, as I am potentially your next U.S. Senator for CA, one of my tasks will be to make tough decisions on a consistent basis that take into account the Scriptures, the Constitution, and the future of our nation. In this situation the Scriptures guide me towards mercy, the Constitution compels me to "insure domestic tranquility", and the future of our nation, if it is to be prosperous, depends on the fact that we as a people, a Christian nation, can show others mercy and grace even if, in the perspective of some, they may not deserve it. As Christ forgave us, we must also forgive them.

5. If elected to the U.S. Senate for California, I will address this issue immediately. You have my word.