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Don’t the millions of illegals in this country pose a potential
security threat? Shouldn’t we deport them?
The economic
implications of such a proposition, both in terms of the costs of
undertaking such an effort and the ramifications of losing so many
millions of workers for which our economy is dependent, make it
infeasible. The Catholic bishops believe, however, that by offering
undocumented immigrants a legal path to permanent residency, they
will come forward and make themselves known to authorities. For
security purposes, it would be much better to know who these
individuals are and to provide them an opportunity to come out of
the shadows.
Our nation is in a war on terrorism; shouldn’t we be sealing our
borders entirely?
The Catholic bishops believe, as do
many others who have objectively studied the question of border
enforcement, that no border enforcement strategy will be effective
in keeping determined people out unless it is combined with policy
changes that address the push and pull factors that compel
immigrants to come here.
From 1993 to 2004, spending for
border enforcement nearly quadrupled. Yet, the number of
unauthorized arrivals increased. Moreover, U.S. border enforcement
strategies have channeled migrants to more remote crossing points,
resulting in increased fatalities, a growth in smugglers and
traffickers, and reduced chances of apprehension.
Our nation’s security concerns
would be better met by having an immigration system that allows
well-intentioned immigrants the opportunity to enter in a more
timely fashion through legal means, thereby allowing enforcement
resources to be focused on would-be terrorists, smugglers and other
criminals who would try to circumvent and manipulate the system to
gain entry.
August 22, 2005
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