Failed Senatorial candidate and former Rep. Robert "Beto" O'Rourke (D-TX) on Saturday appeared at the SEIU and Center for American Progress Action Fund in Las Vegas. During a forum, O'Rourke made a strange comment about illegal immigration and slavery.
"...millions living in the shadows, working some of the toughest jobs, lucky to make a minimum wage, still not even making that, kept in modern day bondage, their immigration status used as leverage to keep them down from fully participating in this country's success and in our economy, an economy that works too well for too few and not well enough for most Americans," O'Rourke said.
Wait a minute.
Those who come to the United States illegally are not "Americans." Americans are people who come here the right way. They apply, they wait in line and they come when they're given the green light to do so. Those who cross the border when they feel like it don't deserve to be lumped in with those immigrants who respected America's laws enough to follow them.
We don't owe illegal aliens anything. Yes, we have a strong economy. Yes, we have the greatest country in the world. But no, we do not owe anyone anything.
No one's "immigration status" is being used "to keep them down" and in the rough. The immigration system is in place so we know who is coming to our country, what their intentions are and what they're going to bring to the labor market. That's not being big and mean. It's called being smart and having a foreign policy in place.
People like O'Rourke are quick to say we need to do everything in our power to help illegal aliens make the best life possible for themselves. They're quick to say that we should welcome anyone and everyone with open arms.
But they're wrong.
We don't want just anyone coming across our border. We don't want just anyone to come to America. You know why? Because we need to know that they have the best intentions. We don't need terrorists trying to pull another 9/11 or drug cartels having greater access to our inner cities.
Cracking down on illegal immigration has nothing to do with making sure the "economy works for some and not others," like Beto would have you believe. It's about protecting our national interests first. It's about protecting the American people first.
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