As the daughter of legal immigrants who made the legal journey to bring their families to this land of freedom, opportunity, and prosperity, I am saddened that our southern border faces an unprecedented surge of illegal immigration. I feel frustrated and disappointed. This crisis not only challenges principles of fairness and justice, it also puts law-abiding Americans at risk and the sacrifices made by many who worked hard to enter this country legally. casting a shadow.
Legal immigration is more than just a bureaucratic process. It is a testament to an individual's commitment to the values and laws that define America. My family, like countless others, embraced this journey and navigated the system to meaningfully contribute to and ultimately realize the American Dream. The border crisis diminishes the importance of these efforts and insults the essence of legal immigration and the rule of law.
Our justice system is an important part of what makes America a beacon to the world. Yet, hundreds of thousands of people enter our country illegally every month in blatant disregard of our laws. Too many of these new arrivals have criminal records or commit crimes after arriving. If they ignore our immigration laws and enter our country, what can we assume about their commitment to our country's values and laws once they arrive?
Unfortunately, it's not just illegal immigrants that undermine law and order. It's also our own federal government.
The Biden administration has repeatedly proven to the American people, including countless good legal immigrants like my parents, that our people and laws are not a priority.
Instead of securing our borders to uphold federal immigration laws and empowering law enforcement to hold criminals accountable, the administration is doing what the federal government refuses to do: protect states and their people. They are trying to prevent the state of Texas from doing what it does.
In fact, Joe Biden has weaponized the Justice Department. sue the state of texas Preventing the implementation of a new law that would make illegal immigration a national crime. The government argues that Texas is exceeding its authority by criminalizing illegal immigration. The Department of Justice pledges to “pursue all appropriate legal remedies to prevent Texas from interfering with the functions of the federal government.”
What functions will Texas disrupt by criminalizing it? criminal Action? The federal government is doing nothing to end the illegal immigration crisis and refuses to even acknowledge its criminal aspects.
Instead, the government is making the crisis worse by downplaying the situation and turning a blind eye to years of inciting criminal activity. State law appears to threaten the ability of federal authorities to do nothing or make matters worse, which says a lot about whose interests they serve. If the partisan Justice Department wins in court, it would be a body blow to federalism and a victory for the authoritarian government.
The staggering increase in illegal immigration is placing an undue burden on law enforcement and endangering the safety of law-abiding communities and national security. Immigration law enforcement is not just an abstract policy matter. We have a duty to protect those who choose to play by the rules and contribute to the fabric of American society.
Compounding the insult, illegal aliens enjoy many taxpayer-funded benefits and are often given priority over American citizens.a recent reports According to research, Texans will pay $6.6 billion in the 2022-23 school year to educate undocumented immigrants in the state's public schools, plus $2.6 billion in related public safety costs and related criminal justice costs. It was revealed that the company paid $1.7 billion in expenses. All that money would be far better spent benefiting taxpayers than paying for the aftermath of a manufactured border crisis.
The crisis at our southern border not only challenges the integrity of our legal system, it also trivializes the sacrifices of those who followed the rules and abided by the law in order to be proud contributors to this great country.
We must stop surfacing the devastating effects of illegal immigration on both American citizens and legal immigrants. Let's stop pretending that this historic immigration crisis is somehow beneficial. That may be the biggest insult to them.
