Immigration

From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island was "the" place to come to America. . Over 40% of our current population can trace our ancestry through Ellis. Our ancestors came to this country using the legal processes in place, seeking freedom of religion, freedom of speech and opportunity.

The nearly 12 million people who came through Ellis Island worked hard to establish themselves within their respective communities. They followed the rules, took English classes and worked hard to become "American". It was, after all, the dream.

Today we have over 11 million illegal immigrants in our country.

Corporations, big and small, are hiring illegal immigrants in larger numbers, and why not? They can pay below minimum wage, do not have to offer benefits and can hire and fire at a whim. It's not good for the immigrants, and it's not good for America.

It is a difficult problem for a country whose very base is made up of immigrants, but I don't believe we can compare those who follow the legal process for citizenship with those ignore it. I do believe, however, we can address this problem on multiple fronts.

First, we must increase the number of legal visas allowed per year in the U.S., without breaking the integrity of the security process. Securing a workforce for farmers who rely on this manpower for day to day operations.

Next - punish those corporations who hire illegal immigrants severely. Most corporations find it easier to pay a fine and keep hiring illegals. We must make it cost ineffective for those corporations.

Then we must revamp our current immigration process without compromising security.

• End document fraud.
• Secure the borders...North and South by increasing border patrol and utilizing our National Guard for rotations to assist.
• Rework the entry/exit system. Keeping track of those who enter or exit our country is vital in knowing who has potentially overstayed their visa.

For those individuals who wish to follow a path to citizenship, we must create a process that is fair and inclusive across the board. This process should include, but is not limited to the following:

• Worker Registration Program. Increase the number of guest workers allowed at any one time based on the current needs of the economy.
• Learn English.
• Follow the laws.
• Start the process of legal recognition - and wait your turn.

To allow illegal immigrants a "shortcut" to legal status, in my opinion, is an insult to the millions of people who took the time and made the effort to follow the process and do it legally.

The last thing we can do in this process is look to those countries the immigrants are coming from and make suggestions in those countries to improve conditions and help slow the exodus. The stronger our neighbors are, the stronger we are.