Gregory D.

Lee

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March 20, 2009

Create U.S. Jobs by Deporting Illegal Aliens

Some government estimates are that at least 12 million illegal aliens are living and working in the United States. Assuming that only one in four illegal aliens hold a job, and those who don’t are their dependents, that would mean at least three million American jobs are being held by these people. Coincidently, that’s the number of jobs the $787 billion stimulus bill is supposed to “create or save.”

There’s a much cheaper way to create three million jobs without bankrupting the country: Deport illegals.

Much of the so-called stimulus bill President Obama signed calls for infrastructure repairs and new public works projects. If many “shovel ready” building projects can now be funded, how many jobs will be taken by unskilled or semi-skilled laborers from Mexico and elsewhere? I think we all know the answer to that – a lot.

Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows state and local law enforcement officers to receive training on immigration law that qualifies them for “cross designation” to perform immigration law enforcement. In order words, trained local police officers are authorized to enforce immigration law and arrest illegal aliens they encounter during the normal course of their duties.

During recent congressional hearings, two county police officials in nearby Maryland testified about their experience with enforcing federal immigration law. According to the Washington Post, Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger warned members of the House Committee on Homeland Security that “the program could severely undermine trust between police and immigrant communities.” The chief said he was concerned that illegal immigrants will not have the “trust and confidence in local police forces.” Why should police be concerned about whether or not law violators have “trust and confidence” in them?

That’s nonsense.

The Homeland Security committee also heard from Fredrick County, Maryland Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, who testified that the program was “an overwhelming success.” His deputies last year identified 337 illegal aliens, of whom 309 were arrested and are pending deportation. Nine were violent gang members, and others were arrested for attempted murder, assault, burglary and child abuse. The sheriff said he urged every law enforcement executive to participate in the program. So do I.

Chief Manger forgets that the mere presence of an illegal alien makes him subject to arrest and deportation. I don’t want illegal aliens to have “trust and confidence” that local police officers are unwilling or unable to enforce this nation’s immigration laws. I want the illegals to fear being found, detained, punished and deported in order to deter them from ever returning here without proper documentation.

The lack of immigration enforcement allows Mexico to take a pass on its own economic and social issues. Mexico encourages its poor to illegally migrate to the U.S. to take jobs its own economy cannot create. The result is billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer money being spent on housing, health and education for people who are not eligible for these benefits. And the vast amount of money earned by illegals returns to Mexico and is not spent in the U.S. to stimulate our own economy.

Local police and sheriff’s departments should be mandated to participate in the 287(g) program. Millions of jobs for Americans would suddenly become available, school and prison overcrowding would become a thing of the past, there would no longer be a need to “press one for English” and your quality of life would improve because there would be fewer people and cars and less pollution.

Considering President Obama has voiced support for illegal aliens receiving immunity and driver licenses, the chances of increased immigration law enforcement is slim. At the request of four liberal Democratic members of Congress who have their priorities mixed up, Attorney General Eric Holder is investigating Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio for “national origin discrimination” after it became known that his deputies arrested and turned over to federal officials more than 16,000 illegal aliens for deportation since April 2007. They should nominate Sheriff Arpaio for the Presidential Medal of Freedom instead.

I wonder how many of those 16,000 illegals held jobs Americans would be glad to take.

Gregory D. Lee writes a weekly column for North Star Writers Group. He can be reached through his we bsite: www.gregorydlee.com.

© 2009 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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