EDITORIAL - As if it wasn't intuitively obvious, recent polls are unanimous in their confirmation that illegal immigration is among the top concerns of the American populace. There is overwhelming support for securing the borders with a wall, a beefed up border patrol, and the military. Americans support the curtailing of social benefits for illegals, elimination of "anchor baby" citizenship etc. It seems like real action to stem the tide of illegal immigration would be a political no-brainer.

Unfortunately the illegals have a few allies.

Republicans: Sad to say there are Republicans whose hunger for the support of exploitive businesses seeking cheap labor supersedes their principles, and their real constituencies get sold out to these special interests.

Democrats: As African-Americans are moving up the socio-economic ladder, and more of them are abandoning the liberal plantation and identifying with the conservatives, the Democrats need a new underclass of dependency to empower them. The illegal Hispanics are a gold mine if they can be legitimized into legal voters! Note the tone of their rhetoric. To a Democrat, there is no such thing as an "illegal alien". They're not illegal, they're "undocumented". They're not "aliens", they're "immigrants" or even to some, they're "hard working citizens!". No! They're not citizens, or even immigrants? they are invaders! If they don't honor our laws and enter our borders thru the legal process? they are illegal aliens! But the Democrats want them legitimized so they may eventually become Democrat voters.

Unscrupulous businesses: Employers must pay "what the market bears" for labor. Without illegals (who are willing to work for less, thus lowering the labor market threshold), the market demands a higher wage for the labor they need done.

The corrupt Mexican Government & Vincente Fox: What a deal for Mexico! They get to export their poverty and crime problem to the US. Then they benefit by the billions of dollars sent annually back to Mexico. What is THEIR incentive to assist us in stemming the tide?

The social welfare system: As long as illegals have access to financial and medical benefits, there is a tremendous incentive for poor Mexicans to seek to flee Mexico and cash in here.

So, while it is in the best interests of the nation to secure our borders and return the uninvited parasites home, there is much political pressure to wink, nod, and turn a blind eye.

The outcry from the public on the issue has indeed put illegal immigration on the front pages? but will our politicians give it mere lip service, or real reform?

We should hold our elected officials accountable. We should express in no uncertain terms that half-measures without teeth are unacceptable.

Americans are a welcoming people. We are a nation of immigrants. Legal immigration must be streamlined and made less cumbersome to reduce the incentive to circumvent the process and crash our borders. Reasonable quotas must be set, allowing the maximum number of legal immigrants that our nation can absorb and assimilate. Americans are not Xenophobic. We are, however, entitled to select and limit our houseguests, and especially our dependent adopted children. And our security depends on scrutiny of those entering our borders.

Build the wall! It must be more physically challenging to get across the border.

Constitutionally define citizenship to exclude citizenship to children of those not legally here! No more anchor babies.

Limit social welfare programs to provide assistance only to citizens. If a non-citizen can't be productive enough to support themselves here, they should not be a drain on US resources. Legal residents who are not citizens should be required to provide for themselves to retain their legal residency. Illegals who cannot support themselves and who find no nursemaid mentality here might just go home.

Provide severe penalties for employers hiring illegals. If the costs to employ them exceeds the labor cost savings over hiring citizens and legal residents? there is no incentive for them to hire illegals. If the jobs aren't waiting for the illegals, there is less incentive for them to cross.

The President must abandon his support of a guest-worker program. Let Americans do the labor, even if that means higher wages and prices. The American Public will happily absorb a few extra cents for a head of lettuce or a bunch of grapes if they also see a concurrent reduction in the presence and curtailment of the influx of illegal aliens!

Deport! Do not be deterred by the claims that it is impossible to round up and deport the millions of illegals already here. It is easy enough to identify and deport a couple hundred thousand! If the illegals already here find it more difficult to find a job, impossible to get food stamps, welfare, medical assistance, and they run the risk of discovery and deportation? many more will voluntarily go home rather than have to be deported by the government.

Make English the official language of the US. Eliminate non-english communications from all government supported communications from education to streetsigns. Government offices should no longer be required to have interpreters. Anyone living in this country should be able to communicate in the native tongue of the US. Discourage bilingual labels on consumer goods, menus etc.

Illegals come here because getting in is easy, because there is a likelihood of an improvement in their status, and because there is a minimal risk of consequence. They stay because there is accommodation and enablement to live here without assimilation (bilingualism), and because their babies become citizens with the rights, privileges and opportunities that US Citizenship entails. Who wouldn't find that an incentive?

If we are to effectively change the situation, we must make it much more difficult to make the crossing (with a wall and increased border security), to find gainful employment (with stiff penalties for employers who hire illegals), or to establish their families as citizens (by denying citizenship at birth to any but children of lawful residents ? or naturalization to any who did not arrive here legally). Unless we address the issue on the multiple fronts of the border, the employer, the giveaways and accommodation and citizenship, we may as well cede Mexas and Mexifornia now.