Hi Gang:
This Tuesday, as I do on just about every Tuesday, at 8:00 AM Eastern Daylight Savings Time, I will be a guest on the excellent Helen Glover Show which is broadcast on Providence, Rhode Island’s Radio Station, WHJJ.
You can listen to Helen’s show online at:
Immigration is emerging as one of the most important issues in the minds of the citizens of our nation yet it would certainly appear that all too many of our elected “representatives” and other politicians who are supposed to “lead” with the consent of their constituents are blatantly ignoring the will of their constituents and their oaths of office!
Today Helen and I will be discussing the how the governor of the State of Rhode Island refuses to take reasonable measures to discourage illegal aliens from calling that state “home!” This, in turn, encourages still more aliens to violate our nation’s borders in the hope that they will be able to make their way to Rhode Island and other “Sanctuary States” and “Sanctuary Cities.”
It is really important to understand that our nation’s immigration laws are supposed to protect our nation and our citizens from aliens whose presence in our country has an adverse affect on a broad range of issues ranging from national security and criminal justice to the economy, the environment, education and healthcare.
Our nation’s immigration laws do not differentiate people by race, religion or ethnicity but do draw the distinction between citizens and non-citizens (aliens).
When politicians such as the governor insist on providing various benefits and hence incentives for illegal aliens to violate our nation’s laws and borders they are arguably committing a felony as defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Of course the governor of the state of Rhode Island is not the only one who is violating our nation’s immigration laws.
The point is that a case could be made that the policies of the administration and promises of pathways to United States citizenship for illegal aliens, encourage and induce aliens to violate our nation’s borders and to remain in the United States thereafter in violation of law with the hope that if these “leaders” deliver on their promises that aliens who violate our borders and manage to hide in plain sight for a long enough period of time will be rewarded for their violations of our nation’s borders and laws.
Of course I am not holding my breath, waiting for Eric Holder’s Justice Department to prosecute the Governor of the State of Rhode Island or the President or members of the Congress who promise pathways to United Stats citizenship for illegal aliens. After all, it is Holder who is suing the States of Arizona and Alabama for daring to enact their own immigration laws that largely parallel federal immigration statutes while doing nothing about “sanctuary cities” that essentially shield and harbor illegal aliens within their jurisdictions further encouraging still more aliens to run our nation’s borders.
Here are the statutes under the Immigration and Nationality Act that address the issues of concealing, harboring, encouraging or inducing aliens to enter the United States in violation of law or reside within the United States thereafter in reckless disregard of their violations of law:
Title 8, U.S.C. § 1324(a) defines several distinct offenses related to aliens. Subsection 1324(a)(1)(i)-(v) prohibits alien smuggling, domestic transportation of unauthorized aliens, concealing or harboring unauthorized aliens, encouraging or inducing unauthorized aliens to enter the United States, and engaging in a conspiracy or aiding and abetting any of the preceding acts. Subsection 1324(a)(2) prohibits bringing or attempting to bring unauthorized aliens to the United States in any manner whatsoever, even at a designated port of entry. Subsection 1324(a)(3).
Encouraging/Inducing — Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv) makes it an offense for any person who — encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law.
Conspiracy/Aiding or Abetting — Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(v) expressly makes it an offense to engage in a conspiracy to commit or aid or abet the commission of the foregoing offenses.
Here is the link to this section of law in its entirety.
What is also extremely important to understand is that our nation’s immigration laws are among the most important laws the United States or, in fact, any nation can enforce. The goal of these laws is to prevent the entry of aliens (foreign nationals) into a country whose presence would be harmful to that nation or its citizens or even pose a threat to national security.
Indeed, aliens who run our nation’s borders pose a threat to national security and public safety. The inspections process that they evade is conducted to prevent the entry of aliens into our country whose presence in our country would be problematic for our nation and our citizens and lawful immigrants and might even pose a threat to their very lives! This is not mere conjecture on my part but is based on my 30 year career with the INS, having spent the first 4 of those years as an Immigration Inspector assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
First of all, an alien who runs our nation’s border leaves no record of his (her) entry into the United States, this in and of itself poses a serious problem for law enforcement authorities and creates a significant vulnerability for our nation.
Second it is important to consider the section of law contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) that addresses the categories of aliens who are to be excluded from the United States.
Title 8, United States Code section 212 is that section of law that enumerates the various categories of aliens who, under the INA, are supposed to be prevented from entering the United States and are supposed to be removed if they are found here:
Here is a link to that section of law:
Please take the time to review the contents of this section of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Among the categories of aliens who are supposed to be kept out of the United States are aliens with dangerous communicable diseases, aliens who suffer serious mental illness and are prone to violence, aliens who are convicted felons, aliens who fugitives from justice in other countries, aliens who are human traffickers and drug smugglers, aliens who are war criminals and aliens who have committed human rights violations. Also aliens who are engaged in terrorism and espionage are among those who are, by law, supposed to be prevented from entering our country and are supposed to be removed if they manage to evade the Border Patrol and enter the United States.
I hope you will be listening to Helen’s excellent show!
The practice of good citizenship does not end in the voting booth, it only begins there.
The large scale apathy demonstrated by citizens of this nation has emboldened elected representatives to all but ignore the needs of the average American citizen in a quest for massive campaign funds and the promises of votes to be ostensibly delivered by special interest groups. There is much that we cannot do but there is one thing that We the People absolutely must do- we must stop sitting on the sidelines!
The collective failure of We the People to get involved in make our concerns known to our politicians have nearly made the concerns of the great majority of the citizens of this nation all but irrelevant to the politicians. I implore you to get involved!
I believe our nation’s is greatly benefited by the rich diversity of our people which is why I could never imagine living anywhere except New York City, arguably the most diverse city in our nation if not, in fact, the world. However, my idea of diversity most certainly does not include members of MS-13, the Mexican drug cartels or members of other transnational gangs or members of al-Qaeda!
If our government’s failures to secure our nation’s borders and effectively enforce our immigration laws concerns you or especially if it angers you, I ask you to call your Senators and Congressional “Representative. This is not only your right- it is your obligation!
All I ask is that you make it clear to our politicians that we are not as dumb as they hope we are!
We live in a perilous world and in a perilous era. The survival of our nation and the lives of our citizens hang in the balance.
This is neither a Conservative issue, nor is it a Liberal issue- simply stated, this is most certainly an AMERICAN issue!
You are either part of the solution or you are a part of the problem!
Democracy is not a spectator sport!
Lead, follow or get out of the way!
-michael cutler-