Orderly immigration policy is essential to the security and preservation of the United States. There are several amnesty bills before Congress, camouflaged as “guest worker,” temporary worker” or “earned citizenship” programs while some bills call for outright amnesty. However, rewarding illegal immigration will encourage more of it.

Some illegal immigrants demand rights that only belong to full-fledged U.S. citizens. If unrestrained immigration is allowed, U.S. citizenship and the rights we enjoy under the Constitution will be devalued.

Border security is a major line of defense against the entry of terrorists and drug traffic. Likewise, civil unrest can arise in countries with loose immigration policies as has been recently experienced by France and other European countries.

The House passed H.R. 4437 last December to significantly improve border securtiy and impose penalties for illegal immigration. Also, as of March 17, H.R. 698 had 84 co-sponsors in the House and would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny citizenship to children born in the United States of parents who are not citizens. We must urge our senators to support Senate versions of these bills, and both our senators and congressmen need to oppose any form of illegal immigration or amnesty.

Arnie Gabrielson

Austin