Introduction of the Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act
Senator Charlie Janssen’s Weekly Column
Almost every state in our country will be looking at immigration reform this year, and twenty-two states will actually be introducing legislation dealing the illegal immigration issue. I am proud to announce that with the Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act (LB48), Nebraska will be included as one of those states.
This bill is meant to protect the citizens of Nebraska in several different ways. First, there’s the issue of our taxes. Nebraska taxpayers are being asked to pay for the education, welfare, and medical expenses of these illegal aliens. Some have said that I’m trying to divert attention away from our state’s budget problems, but I say I’m trying to address some of them. To ask the citizens of the state to pay for people who would choose to willingly break our laws is not right, especially in this tough economy.
Second, there’s our security. (post continued)We have more illegal aliens in our state than the entire population of the city of Grand Island. They are living in our state unlicensed and undocumented. We have no records of their education, criminal backgrounds, employment history or medical history. We as citizens are required to carry identification for everything from operating a motor vehicle to getting a prescription to checking out books at the library. These people should not be granted immunity from these basic guidelines, simply to satisfy the need for cheap labor.
There’s also the issue of common sense. Our federal government has taken entire sections of immigration law and, for decades, chosen not to enforce them. The American people are fed up with it, and so lawmakers in many states–not just Nebraska–are introducing bills this session to aid in enforcement of immigration laws that are already on the books. This isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to what seems to be one of the hot topics of the day, and this certainly isn’t about racism or protectionism. This is about doing what’s right for the people of this state.
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