Thoughts on Illegal Immigration

Immigration law can be very simply stated: If you enter the country without proper permission/at an approved location or overstay a visa, you are in the country illegally!

I believe elected and appointed officials and law enforcement entities have an obligation to the citizenry to enforce laws as written without regard to personal beliefs (America supposedly being a country “ruled by law, not by men”). I also believe the press has a duty to serve as watchdog over government and to try to keep the citizenry aware of government happenings, right and wrong.
America’s citizens really have a need, and a right, to know:
Are officials making any effort to ensure that individuals not in the United States legally (Entered without permission or at a non-designated location, or overstayed a visa) are not receiving social benefits? If so, what are these efforts? If not, why not!

What efforts are made to determine that a Social Security number given by an applicant is valid and actually belongs to the person using the number? If a person is found to possess a fake/ fraudulent/ counterfeit/ or stolen social security number, what action is taken?

Along with, or in lieu of, asking for a social security number, are applicants asked for proof of citizenship or LEGAL PRESENCE in Rhode Island/United States? (Mere proof of residency should NOT be a qualifier). What process is used to ensure that the “proof of citizenship or LEGAL PRESENCE” is bonafide and belongs to the person presenting such documents? If a person is found to possess a fake/ fraudulent/ counterfeit/ or stolen “proof of citizenship or LEGAL PRESENCE”, what action is taken?

I believe far too many elected and appointed officials, and law enforcement entities, have decided to ignore, obstruct, violate, and/or to fallaciously mis-interpret immigration law. I believe this malfeasance can be, and has been, detrimental to our country and citizens in many ways. The enormous monetary costs are often downplayed while other costs are rarely mentioned at all…such as the loss of faith in our government to protect and defend America, her borders, and the American people; to provide equal justice without bias; to obey “the rule of law”; the return of health problems not seen for many decades; the enormous strain on natural, governmental, and societal resources; the unnecessary additional environmental harm.

How do you measure the costs to illegal aliens' victims? Lives being altered, or even ended, by individuals who shouldn’t be in the country but remain here due to official apathy? What are the psychological costs to an American people forced to endure the outright betrayal of it’s officials?

While the Associated Press refers to illegal immigration as “merely entering without permission”, there is far more to it than JUST that. Don't count on the AP to report on any of that! And all that’s really needed is adherence to follow a very simple concept…ENFORCE THE LAW!