Albany Herald

President Obama spoke at length in Colorado regarding “comprehensive immigration” reform. Once again the cry for amnesty echos in the hallways of Congress and hinterlands throughout the U.S. President Regain and President Bush were duped by the liberals and the Democrats into signing into law some form of “immigration” reform without first securing our southern border.

Securing our borders must be first, even though President Obama has “conveniently” forgotten that a border fence was mandated by law under President Bush.

After we have a secure border, we can discuss the entire 14th Amendment. The 14th Amendment does not and was never intended to allow the child of a non-legal immigrant to achieve U.S. citizenship simply by the physical location of the child’s birth.

Then we must sort out the 15-20 million illegal aliens that are already in the United States. President Obama has a grand plan for citizenship for those illegal aliens already within the U.S. borders. It is fervent hope that such citizenship will be finalized prior to the mid-term elections. It has been discussed, debated and voted on by Congress and defeated each time. Pay a fine. How can a minimum-wage earner get the funds to pay any reasonable fine? Pay back taxes. How can a minimum-wage earner get the funds to pay any reasonable back taxes and penalties? Why reward illegal behavior? We all know that fines, back taxes, proof of quasi-citizenship (I have been in the U.S. since I was a child) are all negotiable terms and qualifications, none of which will ever be actually enforced.

The biggest problem with any discussion regarding “comprehensive immigration” reform is Mr. Obama himself. Simply put, it has become a presidential political whim on which laws are to be obeyed and which laws are to be ignored. He has usurped the Constitution and granted illegal authorization to ignore or enforce so many laws that another “compromise” by the Republicans is meaningless.

PHILIP COLSON

Albany