by Neil Licht

Created on: April 17, 2008

Illegal Immigration to the US is not a human rights issue, its a legal issue.

We are a country of laws. Law is designed to limit behavior. It comes from the concept of natural law as it was discussed in the enlightenment era. Accepting a law as just or not is a very difficult moral decision. Often, as times change, a law may indeed be out of touch with current life but, its still law until we change it.

Why is "law" important as the core of US societal right and wrong? Actually, its what keeps us "whole" as a people. In a democracy, especially one composed of so many inherited cultures as in the US, its normally an attempt to strike a delicate balance between where my rights end where yours begin. Making law, so to speak is how we try to make changes that have teeth and can be enforced. Notice, I said changes, not restrictions. We do need to keep revising that balance because of societal evolution and changes in values that reflect them but its law that assures a continuation of society, not social or human agendas. Thats where we seem to be in the debate over "illegal" immigration right now and its enforcement by deportation. Our moral code says change yet our legal code is still saying otherwise.

If the term "illegal" is used concurrently with "immigrant", doesn't that phrase contain the fact that the group being talked about are law breakers? For mayors and governors to say that they will not enforce immigration laws because they believe them to be unjust is to say that any individual can refuse to abide by a law because they believe it to be unjust. We can not afford the decay in our civil protections under "law" that this practice will create.

Causes or passionate beliefs make the debate over what should be law the incredible process that leads to creating or changing laws. Its the Law and not the social or humane issue that is the core of how we run our civil systems. Therefore, by definition,under current immigration law, undocumented is flat out illegal no matter how its described. Its time to stop allowing free zones or other social tools that allow illegal immigrants to come and stay here. It not an issue of disagreement with the law ans subsequently not enforcing it. Its an issue of regaining a society where law is respected and is the civil behavioral boundary.

Why is the word illegal so hard to accept when we talk about "undocumented immigrants"? I suppose its because the humane side of us pushes harder than the legal side but, until we change the law, its still illegal immigration no matter how you say it. Conscience would always say help those in need but the law says illegals are illegal and need to be deported

If you travel on business as I do to Ca, the southwest and other areas, you see first hand how bad cities and towns are stretched to manage, teach, hospitalize, feed illegals. We can not afford to feed and cloth the world yet the increased population of "illegals" is making us do so.

Apartments have become 20 people to an apartment and its impossible for citizens to support the financial burdens. Taxes and hospitalization are costing more while illegals impose on our infrastructure for support. Schools are forced to deal with language issues yet the very folks needing this are not legal and don't have the right to attend our schools.

Other countries enforce their laws and boundaries. We can not afford to feed and clothe the world. Illegal is exactly that so lets put the federal, state and local law enforcement folks office right in the middle of illegals territory so the law can be enforced.

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