I have seen many debates, with people accusing those that want our borders secured and our laws enforced, of being racists or bigots, from others that simply refuse to acknowledge that legal immigration and illegal immigration are, indeed, two very different things and are incapable of distinguishing between the two.
For those that can and do understand that difference and have fought to get our government to start enforcing the laws and stiffening penalties on employers that hire illegal immigrants, this article from the Tucson Citizen shows that enforcement does work.
NOGALES, Sonora - It's a common scene this time of year: streams of overloaded cars, pickups and vans with U.S. license plates crossing into Mexico for the holidays.
Most are filled with Hispanic families from Arizona and other states on their way to visit relatives south of the border for a few weeks before heading back to the U.S. But this year, the holiday travelers are being joined by scores of families such as Jorge and Liliana Franco, who are driving to Mexico not to visit but to stay - permanently.
The Franco's, among others no longer find America "hospitable" to illegal immigrants in AZ, for multiple reasons, one of which is that Congress could not pass the immigration reform, another is because of Arizona's new employer-sanction laws and recent illegal immigration crackdowns throughout this state.
The Arizona sanction law, known as Legal Arizona Workers Act, is expected to take effect in January, provided it survives a last minute challenge and illegal immigrants are preparing for that eventuality.
It's intended purpose is to ensure that no businesses in Arizona knowingly or intentionally hire or employ illegal immigrants. The business owners risk losing their state and local licenses if they knowingly or intentionally - the law makes a distinction between "knowingly" and "intentionally" - hire illegal immigrants after Jan. 1, 2008.
The law also enhances the punishment for identity theft, a crime frequently associated with illegal workers.
For those that claim that illegal immigrants do not steal or falsify social security and other documents, the family that was interviewed, the Franco's, are the perfect example.
In November, their employer checked and found out that the Franco's had used false documents to get their jobs and they were both terminated and could not get hired elsewhere.
Liliana Franco states "Everyone wants a good Social Security number now."
The Mexican consulate in Phoenix is seeing a dramatic increase of applications for Mexican birth certificates, passports and other documents these families will need to go home to Mexico and they are reporting the number of applications are three times the amount from this month last year.
The consulate also has processed more than 16,500 applications for Mexican passports this year, nearly twice as many as last year.
Rosendo Hernandez, president of the advocacy group Immigrants Without Borders, states "If people can't find work, they won't be able to pay their bills, so they will leave."
This family is the perfect example of how stricter laws against the employers that encourage people to enter our country illegally, knowing they will be hired, and cracking down on illegal immigrants, does have the desired effect.
For those that do not think illegal immigration or illegal aliens are a problem, one only needs to look at the news releases over at the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement site, to put to rest that false misconception.
Yesterday, 20 Southern California gang members awaiting release from area jails and state prisons are facing new criminal charges today as a part of "Operation Winter Warning," an expanded effort to target incarcerated foreign national gang members for federal prosecution.
Since the operation began three weeks ago, a total of 23 criminal alien gang members have been charged with re-entry after deportation, a felony violation that carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
On December 17, 2007, three brothers were sentenced on charges of smuggling illegal workers into the U.S.
December 12, 2007, Twenty-four people were arrested Tuesday on complaints associated with identification document fraud and immigration violations in the Eastern District of Texas.
The examples go on and on and provide further proof that illegal immigration is a problem that needs to be dealt with and Arizona provides a good example of the methods that are working.
Come legally or do not come at all.
[Update]
Another very interesting post is found at Right Truth, about the Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the US.
Read the whole thing.
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