Illegal Aliens and Georgia’s S.R. 1395

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, June 11, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. Senator John Wiles kept pushing and pushing until S.R. 1395 finally passed on the 39th day of the session. It’s not a law. It simply asks national leaders to enforce existing federal laws that would close and secure our borders. It urges the president and Congress to keep aliens from coming in the back door, just as we lock the door to keep unwelcome guests out of our homes.

Statements from two of the president’s speeches this year are quoted in S.R. 1395. On January 27th the president said in his State of the Union speech, “We should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system – to secure our borders and enforce our laws, and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation.” Then on February 5th, he said, “We can’t be satisfied when another 20,000 have joined their ranks and millions more Americans are underemployed, picking up what work they can.”

That’s what he said, but let’s consider what he did not say. His first statement suggests we should secure the borders and enforce immigration laws, but he carefully did NOT say he WILL close and secure the borders or he WILL enforce immigration laws. In the second statement, he very carefully said WE can’t be satisfied with underemployment, but he does not say HE is not satisfied with underemployment or America’s ten-percent unemployment rate.

S.R. 1395 DID pass, but it will not be a new law. It will, simply, be sent to the president and each member of Georgia’s congressional delegation, urging them to defeat any attempt to give amnesty to the 10 million to 20 million illegal aliens already in the U.S., including an estimated 450,000 to 1 million right here in Georgia.

S.R. 1395 recommends two avenues of action: (a) Enforce American immigration law and (b) return to serving the interests and needs of U.S. citizens, rather than the interests and needs of aliens who break the law to come here. Now, that’s a great plan! For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.