My Response to Senator Frist's Immigration Note

Senator Frist runs a blog where he allows comments. I thank him for that. Today, he posted his thoughts on the immigration bill just passed by the Senate. Highlights:

- Construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers
- Addition of 15,000 new Border Security agents
- Immediate deployment of National Guard to the border
- Addition of 20,000 detention beds so we can end “catch and release” once and for all
- Prohibiting illegal aliens with a felony or a history of resisting deportation from ever obtaining legal residency or American citizenship
- Preventing fraud by making illegal immigrants provide verifiable documentary evidence in their application for legal residency.
- Declaring English to be the national language of the United States.
...
This bill, though not perfect, marks progress. It replaces rhetoric with real enforcement and sends a very clear message that there is a right way and a wrong way to enter this country.
...
Bottom line, we’ve produced a significant bill with strict enforcement provisions … provisions that will only get stricter as we negotiate final details with our colleagues in the House

One thing I agree with -- I certainly hope the provisions will "only get stricter". Here is my response to his blog:

Honorable Senator Frist,

If only the bill that was just passed met the description you gave, it would be a good starting point. The things you "neglected" to mention make this a horrible bill. I may quit the local republican committee so I can campaign AGAINST any republican who votes for the Senate bill. I can only hope and pray that the house republicans stand strong for conservative principles. You can forget being a presidential contender.

For example, conservatives want strong penalties for businesses who have purposely and knowingly hired illegal aliens. But your so-called reform bill grants AMNESTY to the employers.

Conservatives want illegal immigrants to go to the back of the line. The Senate bill grants virtually all the illegal immigrants the right to stay in the country.

I'm not an absolutist. I understand that there are SOME illegal immigrant families that have truly integrated into our society. Those million or so should be granted a path to citizenship without deportation, to reward them for their assimilation. The rest should NOT be given any special treatment.

Conservatives want people who steal other people's identities to be prosecuted. The senate bill grants them social security benefits earned by their theft. Again, I am willing to seek the middle ground. If an illegal alien obtained a valid social security number, even by using false documents, I don't mind crediting THAT to them IF they become citizens -- in order to reward them for doing their best to do the RIGHT thing.

But when millions of americans learn that some illegal immigrant has been useing THEIR social security number, possibly ruining their own records and credit and creating blemishes on their record, those citizens will want the aliens PUNISHED, but your bill grants them the fruits of their illegal behavior.

And how can you vote for a bill with a straight face that actually makes it ADVANTAGIOUS for an AMERICAN CITIZEN to become an illegal alien? That is what your bill does -- illegal aliens get amnesty from crimes that would land citizens in jail.

President Bush called for a guest worker program that required the workers to LEAVE when they were done. The Senate bill does NOT require the workers to leave. A temporary guest worker program simply MUST require those working to leave when their time is up.

I will contact my republican representative and let him know that he should vote AGAINST a senate-like bill.

My Junior Senator, George Allen, had the true principled character to vote against the Senate bill, He, not you, represents the true conservative view in america -- a view that can compromise to treat illegal aliens fairly, without granting illegal immigrants rights that are denied to U.S. citizens.