Shadow here.  I was perusing the DrudgeReport and came across an article regarding Alabama and their new anti-illegal rule.   I am applauding Alabama.  They managed to do something many states, most notably Arizona (who Mexico tried to sue… What???), were unable to do.  They passed their version of SB1070.  This is having a profound effect on the state as a whole.  Read more here.

So, I got more air to clear, and you can probably guess the subject matter by now:  Immigration.  Specifically, illegal immigration.

First of all, for some, the phrase “illegal immigration” tends to conjure up images of the poor Mexican immigrant wearing a poncho and a sombrero just trying to make ends meet.  While this may be true in some cases, there is a reason why “illegal immigration” isn’t written as “illegal MEXICAN immigration.”  It is written as “illegal immigration” because not only Mexicans immigrate to the US illegally!!  People from all over the world come here illegally, most maybe because they are looking for a better life or a life away from oppression.  Regardless of WHY they come here illegally, the fact is they broke our laws in doing so, and have affected the whole fabric of the United States in the following ways (not inclusive):

1.  Jobs.  Employers looking to hire on people under the table so they can save a few dollars on insurance and other costs associated with having an “on the books” employee.

2.  Identity theft.  A good way to appear legal is to assume someone’s identity.  I have no idea how to go about this, since I am the person I say I am and have no need or desire to assume anyone else’s identity.  However, there is a HUGE demand out there for identity information, due in no small part to illegal immigration.

3.  Crime.  Illegal immigrants unable to find work or assume an identity have to resort to something to survive.  Along with crime comes drugs.  Curtailing the illegal immigrant problem could have a profound effect on the drug pipeline to America.

4.  Insurance.  All kinds of insurance rates are affected from auto to medical.  Mostly because many illegal immigrants don’t have any but still rely on cars of dubious legal status and hospitals without the means to pay the bills.

5.  Double standards.  This is going to sound funny, but this has also resulted in a double standard of application of many laws.  For instance, the Mecca of Sanctuary Cities, California, has made it a LOT easier on unlicensed drivers (an euphemism for undocume…er…illegal immigrants) when stopped at a DUI checkpoint.  Even if they blow positive.  Yes, Cali won’t impound those cars.  They will only impound the cars of those who are citizens or who are here legally.

There are probably a dozen more ways illegal immigration affects society at large, and in ways we don’t yet fully understand.

Oh I know, “What about the children born in America of the parents who are here illegally?”  Sorry, that horse has ridden, in my opinion.  Those children are the beneficiaries of the misapplication of birthright citizenship.  Simply being born on the US side of the border does not (well, should not) mean that a child is automatically a citizen.  Why?  Well, a quick reading of the 14th Amendment should help, but it could also confuse….

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

This is quite a contentious Amendment.  In fact, one of the first challenges came about in 1880, under Elk vs Wilkins.  John Elk, a Native American, was born on an Indian reservation and attempted to renounce his allegiance to the tribe in order to become a citizen under the 14th Amendment.  Since he was not technically born in the United States (tribal lands are separate political entities…not quite countries but not under jurisdiction of the United States), the ultimate result was that he could not be a citizen through the 14th.  He would have to go through the normal naturalization process.

The second challenge came in 1898, in US vs Wong Kim Ark.  Wong Kim Ark WAS born in the United States to parents who were Chinese citizens.  I will let you read the wiki on it.  Suffice to say, that little clause “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” is the sticking part.  Our forefathers incorporated a lot of English Common Law when designing our form of government.  They also drew upon international law.  In English Common Law, allowing Wong to claim his citizenship was a proper application of law.  In international law, the opposite would be true.  It is apparently difficult for judges to determine what the writers of the 14th precisely meant when they put the jurisdiction clause in, but I submit to you that if the clause wasn’t needed, and the intent was to apply citizenship to anyone simply born in the US, then the jurisdiction clause would not be there in the first place.  Just the way the clause is written implies that the jurisdiction clause is something that needs to be satisfied ALONG with being born or naturalized in the US.  It was, in the Wong Kim Ark case, as if the courts just ignored it.  I say again, it would not be there in the first place if it wasn’t important, and in my humble opinion, it was derived from international law.  So, ever since 1898 we have had a growing problem of anchor babies.  Given the socialist, progressive movement, we now have entitled anchor babies along with their parents.

I truly feel for those affected by the Alabama law and the misapplication of the 14th Amendment.  I really do.  I am a humanitarian at heart and don’t want bad things to happen to good people…and I will always maintain that there are a lot of good-hearted illegal immigrants here in the US.  However, the law is the law.  You broke it, you need to either fix your problem by becoming legal, leave or go to jail.  To twist the issue into a racial problem is a clear misdirection and only serves to divide the nation along party lines (possibly to secure votes??).  There WILL be people negatively affected by Alabama’s law.  There WILL be people made homeless.  There WILL be people who are angry, sad, happy…  But the bottom line is, Alabama is dealing with the problem of illegal immigration.  And for this, I stand with Alabama.

We have to get away from the idea of the poor person being negatively affected by our countries laws.  We have to drop the progressive/liberal mentality that the border doesn’t exist, that we are all “global citizens.”  This country is the United States of America.  We have rules.  We need to follow those rules and apply those rules.  We don’t need to be giving to illegal immigrants benefits and rights that we do not give to our own citizens.  There should be no double standard.

Mexico, the champion of illegals here in the US, has a very straightforward and simple law regarding immigration, and they enforce it. Here is what Mexican immigration law says.

What do we do for illegals here in the United States?  Give them state and federal assistance, free medical, access to public schools, tuition assistance and, in some states, free college education.  Given the nature of the racial group many illegals belong to, many are also afforded great legal protection when it comes to affirmative action.  Folks, illegals are illegal, regardless of race.

I don’t know the right answer.  True, it isn’t fair for the kids that were born into this mess.  Perhaps instead of amnesty, we reduce the cost of naturalization and allow the charity groups and other private citizens to pay for it.  Blanket amnesty never works.  It only serves to make the problem worse.

That is all for now!  Shadow out!