Matthew Spalding, PhD, Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at the Heritage Foundation, in a July 2, 2007 National Review Online article titled "One Step at a Time," offered the following:
"Enforce the laws. There already exist on the books numerous laws that, if enforced in a reasonable and targeted manner, would discourage illegal immigration and the employment of illegal labor. Lawbreakers must be deterred, and law-abiding Americans must be reassured, that Congress and the administration are completely serious about enforcing our laws. Recent actions by the administration prove that reasonable enforcement measures (well short of massive deportations) can significantly reduce the number of illegal border crossings. Continued crackdowns on businesses that have hired hundreds and sometimes thousands of illegals would also help government regain credibility in this area."
July 2, 2007
Mark Krikorian, MA, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), in a Nov. 2003 Center for Immigration Studies article titled "Fewer Immigrants, a Warmer Welcome, Fixing a Broken Immigration Policy," wrote:
"The starting point of immigration policy must be adequate capacity, and willingness, to actually enforce the law, whatever the content of the law happens to be. Lack of enforcement has been the central problem of immigration policy — Congress can design the most elegant legal and administrative framework imaginable, but it won’t matter if the immigration authorities are not permitted to use it to enforce the law."
The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), in a transcript of an Oct. 18, 2005 speech titled "Statement of Mark Krikorian Executive Director, Center for Immigration Studies Before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Hearing on 'Comprehensive Immigration Reform II,'" available in its website, stated:
"A third way -- neither roundups nor amnesty... Shrink the illegal population through consistent, across-the-board enforcement of the immigration law. By limiting the settlement of new illegals, by increasing deportations to the extent possible, and, most importantly, by increasing the number of illegals already here who give up and deport themselves, the United States can bring about an annual decrease in the illegal-alien population, rather than allowing it to continually increase. The result would be attrition of the illegal population, shrinking it over a period of several years to a manageable nuisance, rather than today's looming crisis."
Don Hunter, MS, Sheriff of Collier County, Florida, in its Oct. 2006 www.colliersheriff.org article titled "Domestic Security and Illegal Immigration, A Review and Discussion of Issues," wrote:
"...Importantly though, it should not be necessary to physically arrest and remove each of these illegally present foreign nationals if attrition through worksite enforcement is permitted to function as it should. Clearly, illegal foreign nationals could neither remain in the U.S. nor would they have incentive to remain, if they were unable to find employment. The current law, though un-necessarily vast and complex, could insure the gross reduction of illegally present foreign nationals if we enforce the law."
Michael Riley, MA, Immigration Reporter at Denver Post, in a Mar. 7, 2007 Denver Post article titled "Criminal Crossing: Part 3," offered the following:
"Just about everyone caught on a 205-mile section of Texas border between Eagle Pass and Del Rio is now charged with a federal misdemeanor and sent before a judge, then to jail... The experience on this small stretch of Texas border strongly suggests that simply enforcing existing laws can create an effective deterrent and help end the border's revolving door."
Richard K. Jones, MS, Sheriff of Butler County, Ohio, in an Aug. 29, 2007 www.butlersheriff.org website article titled "Shame on Them!" wrote:
"My office, along with other local agencies and hundreds of federal agents, joined forces in this latest crackdown of illegal aliens and businesses who employ them. This raid resulted in the arrest of over 160 persons from Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru on immigration violations. Twenty subjects were additionally charged with various state felony offenses including 'Forgery' and 'Taking the Identity of Another.' This event demonstrates what can happen when we all work together to enforce our state and federal laws! This is how it should work! I fully expect that operations like yesterdays will continue. To those companies that employ illegal aliens, I say take heed, your business could be next!"
Phil Gingrey, MD, US Representative (R-GA), in his Congressional website section titled "Issues: Immigration" (accessed June 18, 2007), offered the following:
"Immigration policy should be based on and adhere to the rule of law. Immigration laws must be enforced consistently and uniformly throughout the United States... Those who enter or remain in the United States in violation of the law shall be detained and removed expeditiously. Illegal aliens shall not accrue any benefit, including U.S. citizenship, as a result of their illegal entry or presence in the United States... Illegal aliens currently in the United States may be afforded a one-time opportunity to leave the country without being prosecuted. Those who do not take advantage of this opportunity will be removed and permanently barred from returning."
Angelo I. Amador, MLL, Director of Immigration Policy at the US Chamber of Commerce, in a Feb. 12, 2007 website section titled "Comprehensive Immigration Reform," from the US Chamber of Commerce Radio Actuality show, stated:
"Any immigration reform package must promote increased security, earned adjustment for undocumented workers already in the U.S. and an essential workers’ program to address future labor shortages. Enforcement alone is not the solution. The reality is that even the most anti-immigrant legislators in this country are not talking about deporting 12 million undocumented workers, which make up about 5% of the American workforce. The business community supports giving these workers legal status, so they will not be subject to exploitation by allowing them to become more able to exercise their rights under U.S. laws."
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, in a May 6, 2008 letter to Congress from Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO, titled "Oppose SAVE Act Discharge Petition," wrote:
"The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) has been a strong and consistent voice for the entrepreneurial community on the issue of immigration reform... Unfortunately, enforcement-only measures will not work. Therefore, we strongly oppose the discharge petition on H.R. 4088, the Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement Act (SAVE Act). This measure ignores the fact that our current immigration system does not adequately address the labor needs of consumers and businesses. H.R. 4088 also would worsen the current situation whereby America's small businesses are forced to take on the role of playing immigration police. That is the job of the federal government, not U.S. entrepreneurs..."
James R. Edwards, PhD, Adjunct Fellow at the Hudson Institute, in a May 29, 2006 National Public Radio show titled Justice Talking, stated:
"Well, number one, we ought to start enforcing the laws on the books. And number two is we ought to add to those in a way that takes the enforcement route first before we assume that there is some inevitable flow of people that’s unstoppable. I just reject that out-of-hand... It depends if your view is that the United States is a sovereign nation. Then you accept that we ought to be able to decide who gets in and who doesn’t and on what grounds we admit people. And that’s what, if in the light of the fact that there is a mass herd of people who are trying to come across unlawfully—now, if we were to do and take an attrition strategy like the House is trying to do and take border security, interior enforcement and employer sanctions all at once, and make it more difficult for people to get here and get a job, then you would see fewer people trying to come in. But until we do that one part nevertheless has to be having some physical barrier on the border."
Greenville News, a South Carolina's daily newspaper, in a Dec. 28, 2006 greenvilleonline.com editorial titled "Local Immigration Enforcement," wrote:
"The problem is, enforcing immigration law is not a local government's responsibility. The federal government should be ensuring that businesses don't knowingly hire people who are not legally eligible for employment. But the feds have failed. And that leaves it up to states, counties and cities. If this problem is going to be fixed, Congress is going to need to step in and pass real immigration reform. That reform should have strictly enforced penalties for those who hire illegal immigrants."
Illegal Immigration Around the World: 13 Countries Compared to the United States
