For far too long, Washington has ignored our nation's borders and allowed uncontrolled immigration outside the law

Steve Kagen:

Indeed, cities across America are beginning to fashion their own immigration rules, primarily because the federal government failed to properly address the problem. City ordinances alone, however, cannot secure our national borders, and may end up punishing employers who do not have the technology to determine who is here legally. Clearly, we need to find a way to enable employers to determine who is legally available for hire.

As your newly elected congressman, I have been listening to people throughout the 8th district, and everywhere I go, folks are asking me where I stand on immigration. Well, there has never been any doubt in my mind that we need a new and tough immigration policy — a national policy that stands on these three essentials: 1) secure our borders; 2) obey our laws; and 3) no amnesty or cutting in line — period.

Every nation has the right to enforce its borders, for a nation ceases to exist when it cannot define and control its borders. We live together under written laws, and if anyone breaks the law, there should be consequences. Those who have broken our immigration laws must be held accountable and should pay a penalty — and go back to the end of the line — even if it takes 25 years to earn their legal status.

Unfortunately, the proposal outlined by President Bush would create a permanent subclass of foreign workers, but we do not need to import foreign workers just to undercut the wages and benefits of Wisconsin citizens.

We must begin to think this problem all the way through and understand exactly how we got to the point where manufacturers move our higher-wage jobs overseas to Mexico and China, and where truck drivers from south of the border may about to be given the right to move goods on highways all across America — even when they cannot read our street signs and do not even carry adequate accident insurance.

The fact is our borders have been rapidly disappearing, starting with the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. But it does not have to be this way.

In the past decade, several presidents in Washington sold us a policy of "invisible borders" — a fool's gold policy that erased our borders with Canada and Mexico, and what followed was not only the disappearance of our borders, but our jobs as well. This unacceptable sales job even has a name — the North American Union — which would guarantee the end of the United States of America, and I am absolutely opposed to it.

It's time to get back to basics and do what is best for our own citizens. Let's ship our values overseas — not our jobs. And let's develop a tough and smart immigration policy, so we can secure our borders, obey all our laws and prevent anyone from cutting in line.

Congressman declares against Amnesty - A Democrat!