Senate Bill threatens America

By Senator Aubyn Curtiss
for eco-logic/Powerhouse magazine

June 01, 2007

Though Montana is far removed from the Mexican Border where thousands of illegal persons enter our country daily, the current immigration bill, although having strong bi-partisan support, has the potential to forever change our future. Both Congress and the U.S. Senate have immigration legislation under consideration, as pressure has been mounting to enact some regulations on the federal level to deal with ever growing problems of states and communities.

Those monitoring action in the nation's capitol, however, have grave concern about the Senate Bill proposing the most significant policy changes in 41 years. President Bush is almost guaranteed to sign the bill, which would grant quick legal status to millions of illegals already in our country. The bill would also allow as many as 400,000 new migrants into the country each year. It does not take much imagination to visualize the impact this influx of foreign nationals would have on our society and our politics. Adding to that the militancy of the "Latinos" who consider that our border states were stolen from them, and are obsessed with the desire to take them back, our federal policymakers are considering actions which present serious risks to our very security and way of life.

Illegal immigration: A sovereignty issue

Actions taken by cities and states across the country evidence the grave concerns which have necessitated devising means to deal with the negative impacts illegals are bringing to their communities. Information provided by the National Council of State Legislatures indicates that 570 pieces of immigration-related legislation were introduced in state legislatures around the country in 2006. Thirty-two states passed measures which dealt primarily with law enforcement, employment, legal services, public benefits, voting, education, Id/drivers licenses, and trafficking. Each was passed to address significant local problems presented by unrestrained immigration, and the burdens placed on their taxpayers by those coming uninvited. They come not only to enjoy the benefits of our society, but some come to prey upon the more vulnerable among our citizens. In some locales, law enforcement is stretched to the extreme to deal with connected crime and illegal drugs.

Not all fall within those categories, but to throw our borders wide open is to invite even more of the negative impacts, which have necessitated communities across the nation to pass laws of their own in order to deal with adverse situations created by undocumented immigrants. Some of these jurisdictions are already involved in lawsuits brought by the ACLU and advocates for the illegals. Statistics indicate that approximately 80 percent of Americans do not favor amnesty for people in our country illegally, nor making welcome the continued waves of illegal trespassers crossing our Southern borders. Still, communities, moving to protect their lawful citizens, are being placed in an adversarial position with our own federal government. Allowing millions more entrance will only compound the problems. Those who truly care about our country should be e-mailing our U.S. Senators and telling them a resounding "No" to placing extra burdens on our taxpayers, and further compromising the sovereignty of our states and our great nation.

Efforts in the past legislative session to forestall such problems in Montana were not successful, and the majority turned thumbs down on legislation to even make it a felony for illegals to vote. We will either learn from situations occurring elsewhere, or Montanans will be forced to join other jurisdictions forced to take protective action. As good citizens, we can express our concerns and help turn the flood - the flood which, unchecked, has the potential to dictate policy to us a short way down the road, when, by default, we have allowed those who made this country great to become the minority.

Senator Aubyn Curtiss is a Montana State Sentator.