Readers Write: Suozzi, King tout immigration bill

The Island Now

The bipartisan result they offer is amnesty. It is no surprise that U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi would come to this scheme. However,  Congressman Peter King’s credentials would indicate otherwise, but alas he has surrendered to the siren call of amnesty as well.

 It is unfortunate  that King did not think the answer for a secure border was to reintroduce, with Suozzi, the securing United States borders bill (The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005/ H.R. 4437) which King co-sponsored thenI urge everyone to look up this legislation since it has solid solutions that we need to fix today’s crisis.

I would hope that they could at least agree on using Section 287 (g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to help immediately. This allows DHS to enter into an arrangement with state and local governments.  The states then can secure training for law enforcement officers (which include training on immigration, civil rights laws and racial profiling issues), who then would become authorized to deal with immigration offenders and enforce immigration laws right here and now.  

Also, both our member of Congress could fast track more action for Executive Order 13767 (Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements) signed by President Trump back on Jan. 25, 2017. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection department has begun doing replacement fencing but no new wall sections have been built yet.

These are three simple solutions that could be quickly implemented to secure the border and protect our local communities. These solutions do not need to involve rewarding 5 million people who broke out laws.  Even the suggestion of using the mass amnesty (for an estimated 50,000 people each in Nassau and Suffolk County with another 750,000 more across New York state) as a way to create revenue for some illusionary border security in the future is insincere since they have stated half of total money will given away to unstable foreign countries. We should not give up any of the money. All the money should stay in the United States for hiring more border protection agents.  

Nothing will be accomplished by surrendering with amnesty in any way, shape or form to DACA recipients, illegal immigrant adults on TPS, unaccompanied minors, as well as people whose visas expired and didn’t leave or crossed the borders unlawfully.  These actions  will only be to the detriment of hardworking, legal, middle-class taxpayers of the USA. 

Removing the consequence of deportation is not fair to the people who came in the legal way. What deterrent would be left to stop more illegal immigration from happening? This immigration compromise is not needed. There is no reason to tie these two different issues together.  

It is time for our legislators to uphold their oath of office to follow the Constitution, which means maintaining our country’s sovereignty by securing the border as its own priority.

Chris Wales

Mineola

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