On Wednesday, Mayor Bloomberg's East Side residence - not
Gracie Mansion - was the site of a planned protest by NY ICE, New
Yorkers for Immigration Control and Enforcement. I spoke with the
president of the group, Joanna Marzullo, who told me there were
more police than protesters and that they kept the group away
from the front of Bloomberg's residence. Ms. Marzullo noted that,
"Bloomberg's residence has better protection than our own
borders."
The group was approached and harassed by a group of young
students who spouted rhetoric about "open borders," but
when NY ICE members mentioned the importance of national
security, they were called names and given obscene gestures.
"Whenever you try and present them with the facts, "Ms.
Marzullo said, "They resort to this tactic." Ms.
Marzullo is a third generation Hispanic who says we should stop
using the term illegal immigrants. "These are illegal
aliens. Immigrants go through a legal process," she said.
NY ICE believes that before we can even entertain the issue of
amnesty, we should try enforcing existing immigration laws, like
employer sanctions for hiring illegals. It insists that Mr.
Bloomberg stop allowing NYC to be a "sanctuary city"
for illegal aliens.
These sanctuaries are communities that refuse to comply with
federal immigration laws. Mayor Bloomberg developed a policy
whereby city agencies won't inquire as to a person's immigration
status except in the most extraordinary circumstances. This in
essence means that the city has nothing to report to the
authorities.
This also means that there are quite a few brazen illegal aliens
in New York City. The New York Post interviewed and photographed
five illegals and published their names and occupations. All of
them indicated they had no intention of leaving the country to
obtain the proper documents because they did not trust that they
would be able to return. Technically these individuals could be
rounded up and deported because the so-called immigration reform
bill has not passed, but all are apparently unconcerned about
enforcement. Why shouldn't they be? New York is a safe zone.
I am getting rather tired of listening to "open border"
activists pontificate on this being a nation of immigrants. Let's
take a look at what these earlier immigrants endured for the
precious right to become an American. Visit Ellis Island for a
gander at the waiting lines and read about the indignities they
suffered. Many Americanized their names to adapt more completely
to their new country. Thanks to the anti-American
multiculturalists, however, the new breed of
"immigrant" has no compunction to assimilate. Blue
states seem to provide more services for less allegiance to this
nation.
I am equally weary of listening to right wing commentators
concentrating all their condemnation on the Hispanics as if these
are the only illegals invading this nation. There are allegedly
25,000 illegal Irish here in New York City. Dare we inquire about
one's immigration status in Chinatown? How was it possible for a
friend from Krakow visiting my Polish daughter-in-law two years
ago to secure a green card within months? Legal immigration is
easy for some, impossible for others.
Our immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed, but the
very first thing we need to do is secure our borders. That means
not only completing the 800-mile fence that Congress voted for,
but the diligent scrutinization of the issuance of visas, with an
absolute moratorium on those requested from hostile nations. The
reason for the border fence is simple-national security. Mexicans
may be coming here for jobs and a better life, but there are
others whose intentions are not so benign, and they could invade
through Mexico.
The issue of the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens already
here can wait until we have adequate enforcement personnel,
technological upgrades of computer databases, and the ability to
do thorough background checks as rapidly as we do credit checks.
The problem of illegal aliens is not something new or anything
that President Bush is responsible for. Nevertheless, if he signs
off on the ill-conceived reform package as written, he will be
making a huge mistake. I've said from the beginning that this is
a very complicated issue, yet from the far right all I hear is,
"They're breaking the law, deport them." From the left
via Sen. Kennedy, "At last these people will be coming out
of the shadows and into the sunshine of America." What about
the sunshine of Mexico?
Mexico is an oil-rich nation that guards its own Southern borders
judiciously but facilitates the exit of its neediest citizens.
It's immoral for Mexico to do so and downright stupid for us to
enable this exodus.