INDIANAPOLIS, May 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nation's largest veterans organization is calling on Congress to reject proposed legislation that would grant "fast track" citizenship or amnesty to the 12-20 million individuals who are in this country illegally. Instead, The American Legion advocates aggressive enforcement of immigration laws and stronger border security as a means to reduce the illegal population in the United States.
The American Legion's National Executive Committee, meeting in Indianapolis, Ind. on May 9-10, outlined a five-point strategy to address illegal immigration. It includes:
-- Securing the borders and coastline points of entry
-- Removing the jobs magnet by imposing and enforcing employer sanctions
-- Eliminating most social services benefits for illegal immigrants
-- Promoting a strategy of attrition through enforcement
-- Effectively screening and tracking foreign visitors in the U.S.
"We are not against legal immigration and never have been," said National Commander Paul A. Morin. "It is what made this country what it is today, and no one can dispute that. But the system is broken and it needs fixing, and the solutions being tossed around by some members of Congress are not in the best interest of this country."
The failure of the federal authorities to enforce our immigration laws has invited the criminal element to our society. Alien gangs operate in most, if not all, major U.S. cities. Human and drug smuggling operations are prevalent along our southern border. Document fraud and identity theft are rampant among the illegal population. And throughout the country, prisons are overcrowded or full, with about 30 percent of those incarcerated being illegal immigrants.
The American Legion does not believe the answer to solving the illegal immigration problem is to make illegal aliens legal. "Rewarding illegal behavior sets a dangerous precedent and only encourages more to ignore our country's laws. It swells our population, puts an undue burden on American taxpayers and presents a significant national security risk," Morin said.
The American Legion is a veterans organization of 2.7 million wartime members, many of whom have served overseas, many in Third World countries. They have seen poverty, political instability, disease and war. The sacrifices they have made give them a perspective on national security issues that many Americans do not have. And today, they see and understand the threat that open borders present to their homeland.
A comprehensive white paper of the organization's strategy is being made available to Legionnaires around the nation so they can activate their communities to demand that Congress act responsibly to effectively to protect America's borders.
