What do you think about the collapse of the southern border? That is the subject of this evening's Talking Points Memo.
I use the word collapse because when the most powerful nation on Earth cannot or will not stop people from illegally entering the United States, our system of border protection has collapsed.
I mean a few hundred illegal crossings are understandable, but a hundred thousand children this fiscal year? That's a catastrophe.
A new poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute asked more than a thousand American adults about the kids coming illegally to the U.S.A.
Question number one: What should the U.S do about the children who are currently arriving from Central America without their parents?
70%: Offer shelter and support while beginning a process to determine whether they should be deported or allowed to stay in the U.S.
26%: Deport them immediately.
4 % don't know.
Second question: the U.S. should not allow children coming from Central America to stay because it will encourage others to ignore our laws and increase illegal immigration?
59%: Either completely or mostly agree with that statement.
39%: Either completely or mostly disagree with it.
Final question: which statement comes closest to your view about how the immigration system should deal with illegal aliens?
58%: Allow them a way to become citizens provided they meet certain requirements.
22%: Identify and deport them.
17%: Allow them to become permanent legal residents but not citizens.
Now, this poll shows a number of things.
First, that Americans are a compassionate people. We want poor children to be treated humanely and fairly, even if it costs the taxpayer money.
And two, most of us understand that not controlling our southern border is a magnet for illegal aliens.
The hidden headline of illegal immigration is that not one president, not one, has even tried to seal the southern border.
That has resulted in a massive amount of illegal drugs coming here, as well as undocumented aliens.
The reason the presidents have not secured the border is purely political.
The Hispanic lobby is powerful in the U.S.A. and so is big business, which for years has used illegal aliens as cheap labor.
After 9/11, you would think the federal government would make it a top priority to stop people from coming here illegally because we just don't know who they are. And certainly terrorists have illegally entered the U.S.A., as well as vicious criminals.
Later on in this broadcast, we'll talk to a mother whose police officer son was killed by an illegal alien with a criminal record. He was not deported.
So the absolute dereliction of duty on the part of all presidents and Congress is appalling.
And we the people are suffering, along with defenseless children.
Talking Points will remind everyone that most illegal immigrants are good people, most of them help the nation because they work hard.
But 50% of all families headed by an immigrant receive some kind of welfare.
And non-English speaking children put a tremendous strain on the public school system. Also foreign gangs run criminal enterprises all over the U.S.A.
So illegal immigration certainly should be controlled.
I've put the solution to the immigration problem on BillOReilly.com, and my plan would work.
Bottom line, we need to stop illegal immigration into the U.S.A. ... cold.
