We all believe in immigration. We want people to come to America, and nobody is talking about shutting the system down and completely locking immigrants out. But we have rules and laws already in place to govern immigration, and giving amnesty to those who break the rules sends all the wrong messages to everyone, both inside and outside the country.
Allowing illegal aliens to remain in our country would be like standing in line for concert tickets, or trying to get your kids into a good school and having someone ditch the line. Not only did they ditch the line, but they got in and you didn’t.
The same thing is happening with immigration. There are people who have been waiting in line for years, going through the proper channels and obeying the laws, while too many others cut the line, break the law and are rewarded for their efforts.
Giving amnesty to those who come here illegally goes against our fundamental American values. We teach our kids to pay attention to the rules and if we allow those who have broken the rules to stay, what are we supposed to say to our kids?
People want an immigration policy that makes sense, but they are frustrated. Not only are too many immigrants not waiting their turn, but too many employers are hiring illegal aliens giving more people a reason to break the law to come to America. If we offer amnesty, which we have done in the past, we are saying it's fine to ignore the rules. Our credibility will be damaged and our ability to enforce immigration laws in the future will be compromised.
America has much to offer, and we should have a reasonable process to allow as many people as possible to take full advantage of these opportunities. But policies that undermine our values and the credibility of our laws are simply not the answer.
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