Solution to immigration problem

I wrote this in response to an interesting assessment of the USA’s problem with illegal immigration.

Living about 100 miles from the Mexico border, I can say without reservation that Mexican and other Latin American immigrants, legal and illegal, are good people. Moreover, they’re great people. Most of them love America and only came here to take advantage of a perpetually booming economy.

Still, I have yet to meet anyone who thinks that millions of illegal aliens (to hell with the PC term “undocumented workers”) walking into the country -- with no background check, no name checking against terror watchlists, not even a simple ID check -- is a good idea. Only the Hispanic lobby and Vicente Fox believe that’s acceptable.

I’m stunned that our hugely critical, tome-like “9/11 Commission Report” could cite the porous Southern border as a major security threat and yet, after four years, very little has been done about it.

At the same time, the Latin Americans coming here are providing a service, and seem happy to work hard. Business and construction lobbies can attest to the need.

So, the path seems crystal clear. We need to completely seal the southern border to illegal immigration -- a simple task with a high-tech military and a $5.5 trillion annual budget. Our budget is positively staggering. It would be like someone with a $40,000 per year income splurging for an ice cream cone on a sunny afternoon – single scoop.

No changes should be made for legal immigrants. This country was founded and built by immigrants. Closing the border to illegals is very different than closing it altogether.

At exactly the same time, on the same day, we must initiate an amnesty program for illegals already in the country, provided they pass a background check, and reform entrance requirements for new Latin immigrants – to smooth the way. If we need them, and they want to come, let's check ID's, compare their names to terror watchlists, and let them get to work and pay taxes like the rest of us.

If we do both of these things at once, I can't imagine any room for complaint from anyone.

I certainly wouldn’t want to be the Senator who did nothing if the next terrorist attack is traced back to someone who walked across the Southern border.