Cliff Stearns: “obviously our immigration system is broken. Recent reports have revealed that there are approximately 10-12 million…”

“obviously our immigration system is broken. Recent reports have revealed that there are approximately 10-12 million illegal immigrants within the United States. Unless we act quickly, this number is estimated to grow by 400,000 each year. The problem of illegal immigration has legal, economic and national security ramifications. As Peggy Noonan recently observed in the Wall Street Journal, ``what does it mean that your first act on entering a country--your first act on that soil--is the breaking of that country's laws? What does it suggest to you when that country does nothing about your lawbreaking because it cannot, or chooses not to? What does that tell you? Will that make you a better future citizen, or worse? More respecting of the rule of law in your new home, or less?'' We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. The fact of the matter is that illegal immigration violates our laws, and goes against our Nation's dedication to the rule of law. It is wrong, both legally and morally, and must be stopped. From an economic perspective, illegal immigrants fill jobs that would otherwise be filled by American citizens or legal residents. Public funds are being used to provide social welfare benefits and services to those here illegally at the expense of the American taxpayer. And our border patrols are using precious resources to track down these scofflaws, when they can be focusing instead on preventing terrorists from entering our country.…”