ATLANTA – Many Americans today can trace their ancestry back to the shores of Ellis Island, one of the major points of entry for law abiding immigrants seeking to become citizens of the United States. Throughout its storied history, America has always been a land of hope and possibility.
Although America is known as a beacon of freedom and economic opportunity, it is also a nation of laws. On Monday, June 25, the United States Supreme Court ruled to uphold a key provision of Arizona’s immigration law, giving law enforcement the authority to check the immigration status of criminal suspects and further protects Arizona’s right to enforce its own immigration laws. I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the “show your papers” provision of Arizona’s immigration law and see it as a major victory for the immigration reform that Georgia passed during the 2011 legislative session.
Due to the federal government’s unwillingness to enforce immigration laws and despite numerous attempts to strengthen laws that govern the naturalization process, many individuals continue to disregard the legal path to citizenship by living in the United States illegally and using resources intended for law abiding residents. Therefore, the responsibility to secure our nation’s borders has fallen largely in the hands of the states.
Citing increased violence along the state’s borders and recognizing the need to enforce greater immigration controls, Governor Jan Brewer did what any elected official would do – protect the citizens of her state. In 2011, under the protection afforded to states by the 10th amendment, which provides states the ability to define their own immigration laws and regulations, the State of Arizona passed sweeping immigration reform through the passage of SB 1070.
Shortly after the passage of SB 1070, opponents of the bill quickly derided the legislation as racial profiling even though individuals being questioned for a criminal offense are subject to further questioning in almost any case.
Similar to Arizona, Georgia also enacted stronger immigration laws through the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011, or HB 87. This bill received national attention because, not unlike Arizona, it allows law enforcement officers to verify a person’s immigration status while investigating a criminal suspect. The legislation also cracks down on illegal immigration by requiring businesses with 10 or more employees to use E-Verify, the federal online system for verifying an employee’s citizenship.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the number of illegal immigrants in Georgia has risen sharply from 220,000 in the year 2000 to nearly 440,000 in 2011. In addition, the Federation for American Immigration Reform recently put out a publication outlining the net fiscal cost of illegal immigration in Georgia to be approximately $2.3 billion per year.
As you can see, illegal immigration presents a major fiscal burden to Georgia’s legal residents, the taxpayers. Therefore, securing state rights are vital to the preservation of a constitutional democracy, and cannot be separated if we wish to remain a strong republic of the people, for the people, and by the people. Today, we fight an increasingly difficult battle to secure our nation’s borders and protect individual state rights.
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Sen. Cecil Staton serves as Senate Majority Whip. He represents the 18th Senate District, which includes portions of Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, and Monroe counties
A law enforcement official that stops a suspected illegal is not allowed to detain the suspect if they have no alien paperwork - a green card.
There are no penalties for employers who illegally employ these aliens.
The Department of Homeland Security, the agency with all the power to deport illegals, has told all their offices to ignore Arizona law enforcement officials.
You are confused.
Just today with the stunning news the Supreme Court in supporting ObamaCare, could be yet another nail in America’s economic coffin. This is going to further encourage illegal alien absconders from poverty stricken countries, to bring their sick by international flight or through state borders ; people needing surgery as an appendicitis to major surgeries, will arrive here and because of federal mandates American taxpayers will be further raped to pay for these unfunded mandates.
IT is the Time of the PEOPLE’S PARTY. It is the time for the moderate TEA PARTY, not the far left or right. The TEA PARTY is complimented by man/women; African, White, Hispanic, Asian and other Americans of different nationalities. The TEA PARTY is a wealth of different religions, faiths, gay and ordinary people of every walk of life. Remember a large perpetual majority who votes for President Obama for a second term could are most liable none citizens or American citizens who spend their days watching TV, selling drugs, collecting public assistance, food stamps and living off the rest of us as parasites. These are the people who want something for nothing. THE TEA PARTY BELIEVES IN INDIVIDUAL CHOICE, NOT RELYING ON GOVERNMENT FOR EVERYTHING. Illegal aliens don’t just come here for jobs but to pilfer state treasuries because elected officials have allowed this to happen. As an example of states in big trouble every month the Sanctuary State of California--as just naming one haven has a deficit of $15.7 Billion dollars, with over $1 billion dollars annually soaked up by illegal alien welfare and rising.
The exception is the sick and true disabled human beings, so think of their dilemma that taxpayer money should be assisting citizens, instead of illegal aliens. If you are frustrated with feeding the rest of the world, unable to get a decent job then join the TEA PARTY. The controversial immigration debate and the problems it has brought; it is a theft of your taxes. Obama’s new the rules and regulations have been forced on American with its so called ‘Political Correctness’ along with its growing taint of a growing Socialism agenda impregnating young minds in the schools and universities. President Obama has placed obstacles to halt the extraction of valuable energy resources in a time of urgent need. This administration has squashed efforts to extract oil, natural gas and coal; that we could lower the expenditure from transportation and we could sell residual amounts to friendly foreign countries. The progressive’s zealots in the environmentalist world have stopped the laying of oil pipelines from Canada to Texas, when America could be self sufficient and not relying on Saudi Arabia, and other foreign potentates. Shouldn’t we become a creditor again, instead of a debtor to China and other investing countries?
This is the time when every American who believes in the ‘Rule of Law’ and steps forward to let their Senator or Congress person knows how you will vote. Bombard politician’s aide, that you insist the lawmaker sponsor E-Verify and the Birthright Citizenship bill (H.R.140). NEITHER PARTY DOESN’T SEEM TO CARE THAT THIS COUNTRY IS BEING OVERWHELMED BY THE POVERTY FROM SOUTH OF THE BORDER, BUT ALSO A MAGNET TO MILLIONS OF PREGNANT WOMEN WHO ONCE ARRIVE HERE CAN STEAL THE WELFARE OF AMERICAN FAMILIES. ONCE SMUGGLED THROUGH THE BORDER OR STEP OF A PLANE, 400.000 ILLEGAL ALIEN MOTHERS ANNUALLY CAN REAP THE REWARDS OF CRIMINALLY ENTERING THE UNITED STATES. THIS PUBLIC HELP SHOULD BE GOING TO OUR OWN CITIZENS NOT TO EDUCATE FOREIGN CHILDREN ORE FREE MEDICAL CARE, THAT TAXPAYERS EVENTUALLY RECEIVE THE BILL.
Citizen voters should phone Congress at the central Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Insist YOUR CONGRESSPERSON TO accomplish their obligation to the oath of office and stop rewarding the businesses that use cheap labor or the pro-illegal alien lawmakers that are desperate for votes, no matter illegal or legal. By only voting for those who favor the TEA PARTY ideology is the veil of corruption going to be lifted from American politics. Use the power of your VOTE to demand politicians sponsor good policies or we are destined to become like Europe, besieged by the poverty from other countries.