Immigration is what has built our country and marks it as a fascinating cauldron of many cultures, nations, and ideas. In the beginning, immigrants who came to Ellis Island were to come with identification papers from their home country. We need to keep that requirement. Our current immigration policies need to reflect proper personal identification and an agreement to uphold the laws and the changes currently in effect in the U.S.
We understand there are many good, honest immigrants who have lived in terrible circumstances in other countries, and we welcome them to apply. However, all immigrants need to be vetted for their identification, purpose, and destination. CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) and ICE ( U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) are two of the agencies that have the responsibility for monitoring and maintaining the security of the U.S. border for incoming immigrants, terrorists, and undocumented migrants.
Legal immigrants are those who have obtained proper identification and protocols for entry or residency at our border. Some are DACA family members desiring to relocate with family here. There are also those who may be here to work and need to obtain employment-based visas. The job of CBP is to help these immigrants and also to find undocumented immigrants (those who are foreign born or have a civil violation, do not have government authorization or are improperly identified, do not have a valid visa or an expired temporary visa or are breaking the terms of their admission). Crossing our borders illegally without proper documentation is a civil violation and leaves the person subject to deportation without asylum.
Most Americans would agree that CBP and ICE are important to keep our country safe from others with nefarious intentions of things like drug smuggling, trafficking of children or women, and other criminal intents. CBP as well as ICE also need to be on the alert for crimes of weapons smuggling and any of the above-mentioned crimes committed by U.S. citizens. Another top priority is to keep terrorists and their weapons from entering/leaving the U.S. If CBP apprehends a migrant who has a record of criminal activity or intent of the same who does not have the proper identification or paperwork, they are considered illegal and do not get asylum.
We have a drug crisis in America that is funneled predominantly through our southern border. Those who traffic in drugs have flooded our cities with methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and looting. Some of you have lost sons and daughters to the horror of drugs and crime. This needs to stop both with undocumented immigrants and our own citizens.
We currently have 11 million illegal immigrants as well as our own criminals in our country who may not be interested in maintaining our laws and protecting the citizens. There is no doubt that our borders need monitoring and that those stationed there for our protection and who uphold our laws are in need of improved technology, more personnel, improved infrastructure for control and monitoring, reduced bureaucratic hurdles and the need to speed up the application process. Having open borders will only compound the problem. We must stop the influx until we have achieved this first.
Last year saw an astounding 86% increase in immigration. There were 2.4 million encounters at our Southwest border and 3.2 million nationally. One hundred and sixty-nine people were stopped and arrested at the Mexican border who were on the terrorist watchlist. More than 35,000 aliens with criminal records were apprehended. Also, CBP seized 27,293 pounds of fentanyl — enough to kill more than 6 billion people! (That’s from Homelandsecurity.house.gov.)
We cannot be saviors for the planet. We must do the best we can with what we have and follow the laws and processes for others to reside in our country. We are not going to be able to help others if the swell becomes a flood and overtakes the system.
We are at serious risk for drug smuggling, human trafficking, and various other crimes to overtake us and dramatically change the safety profile of our nation. We need wisdom and compassion as well as strong rules for enforcement and upgrading of laws to protect our families, our society, our nation. We also need to correct any hypocrisies of our own.
Common sense needs to rule the day. Do you leave the doors and windows of your home wide open day and night? Do you want or allow just anyone to come in? Our worst year yet for illegal immigration was 2023.
We are beginning to drown. Defined, secure borders are one of the hallmarks of a sovereign nation. Let’s fix this problem or it may become our demise.
God help us. It’s time to wake up.
Esther T. Force lives in Greenfield.