Who can stand against the Federal Governments of these two nations profiting by lax border security and illegal immigration enforcement, and who can stand up for the citizens of Arizona?  Our state can.  And I, as a state legislator hopeful, stand ready to learn the issues well enough to propose Arizona State legislative action to protect us.

I have begun to educate myself by collecting many facts about the immigration policy and border security.  I am sharing with you my first installment of facts and history so that you too may be better informed and better prepared to lend your support to those who propose realistic solutions. Real problems demand real answers and with wisdom and guidance from our Creator and sincere men and women, that is what I intend to achieve.  Please acquaint yourself with the facts that will help us transition from an emotional response to fact based legislation.

Immigration is far from being an isolated issue. It is an issue that, regardless of what side of the debate you fall, becomes extremely convoluted by special interests, each manipulating statistics to further their own agenda. Neither side is free from blame. But in truth, these special interests more than likely fall on the outskirts of the general populace and are far more the exception than the rule. They simply make the loudest arguments. To achieve any sort of real change and consensus, we must remove our personal biases from the equation and speak in truth, not in an attempt to prove our own agenda, but in the best interests of our society as a whole. Tough questions must be asked, light shed on darkness. Personal accountability on the part of not only the government, but the individual is a must. I have no interest in getting bogged down in semantics.

Facts

· Approximately 75% of illegal workers, contrary to popular belief, are paid above board and are subject to the same tax system that any other employee is subject to. These taxes are withheld and paid by the employer.[1] Thus, illegal workers are in fact a revenue stream to governments at both the state and local levels in an amount between $7.5 and $9 billion per year between Social Security and Medicare. This creates a major problem when trying to get the government to earnestly secure our border when by doing so they will shut off a revenue stream that they will never have to pay back.

· As of 2003, $10.8 billion dollars was being sent back to Mexico by immigrants here in the United States. This, at that time, was the second largest source of income behind oil exports.[2] The illegal drug trade from Mexico to the United States is between $15-25 billion per year.[3] According to World Bank, Mexico's GDP is approximately $1 trillion.[4] In 2009, this number shrank by 6.8% which was the worst decrease in over thirty years, catastrophic by many standards.[5] That being said, money being sent back by immigrants and the drug trade make up between 2.5% and 3.5% of Mexico's GDP. Removing these dollars would result in between a 36.7% and 52.2% increase in the GDP reduction. If 6.8% is considered a catastrophe, the 9-10+% would be crippling. The bottom line, the Mexican government has no vested interest in assisting the United States in securing its borders, in fact they would prefer they stay at the status quo.

· Employers in the United States are manipulating illegal immigrants. Using fear tactics to pay repressed wages, avoid workman's comp claims, no discrimination lawsuits, no vacation pay, etc. Feeding off of the fear created by the knowledge that illegal immigrants have no rights and have very limited means by which they can support themselves and family. This creates a modern day slave trade.[6]

· The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (signed on February 2, 1848) paid Mexico $15 million and established the current Mexican/ American border. This gave the United States of America the right to establish laws by which the U. S. citizens and any who cross their border must abide. The moment anyone, regardless of reason, does not follow proper procedure in crossing said border they are in violation of U. S. Code Title 8, Section 1325, and are committing an illegal act.[7]

· A wide open border is a contributing factor that Arizona has the second highest number of kidnappings in the world, second only to Mexico City.[8]

· In March, 2005 FBI Director Robert Meuller told the House Appropriations Subcommittee that individuals from known Al Queda connections are changing their Islamic surnames and obtaining false Hispanic identities, learning to speak Spanish, and pretending to be Hispanic immigrants.[9]

· According to a report from the U. S. Joint Forces Command, Mexico is at risk of a rapid and sudden collapse.[10] This is a danger to the United States in general and more specifically to the state of Arizona.

· The Iranian backed terrorist group Hezbollah is using Mexican drug routes to get into the United States.[11]

· In early 2009, Al Queda recruiter Abdullah al-Nafisi was seen on video explaining how they could exploit our southern border. He stated, “Four pounds of anthrax- in a suitcase this big- carried by a fighter through the tunnels of Mexico into the U. S. are guaranteed to kill 330,000 Americans within a single hour if it is properly spread into population centers there...”[12]

Summary

“A country that cannot control its borders really isn't a country anymore.”

Ronald Reagan, 40^th President of the United States of America

We have a problem on our southernmost border. Illegal immigration is only a piece to the puzzle. Both the Mexican and American governments are culpable in the mess we find ourselves today. Truth be told, we can no longer trust them. Their own special interests have evidently made it impossible to do what is actually right and proper for the citizens of each country. They are neglecting their duty to be sure, but that does not excuse Arizona for neglecting ours. This is not just about immigration, this is every bit as much about protection, if not more. The surplus of undocumented, thus illegal, immigrants is simply a symptom of the greater problem, unsecured borders.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, there are more than 500,000 illegal immigrants in Arizona.[13] According to the U. S. Census Bureau there are 6.5 million people in the state.[14] In other words, 7.7% of our population is in violation of U. S. law. This is not disputable. What is disputable, however is what to do with them. We have already shown the culpability of not only the governments of both countries, but the employers who manipulate the system. This does not however excuse the reality that these people have in fact broken the law and according to said law, there are various punishments that can be passed down. Further, the question must be asked, if someone is willing to disregard one law for their own best interest, would they be likely to do the same when presented with a different difficult situation? It is a slippery slope to begin picking and choosing which laws we are going to enforce, a decision that no society can allow to be made on an individual level. Inevitably, this will lead to chaos.

As shown above, we have a drug problem in America being supported in large part by the Mexican drug cartels. A border fence would go a long way in disrupting this output. For those that argue the drugs would simply begin to be made here in the U. S., I simply say, better here where our law enforcement have the tools necessary to combat such endeavors than in Mexico where the government either doesn't have the will or ability to.

There are people in this world that want to kill American citizens simply for being American citizens. Although, many here at home have managed to forget the magnitude of 9/11, we cannot. This is in no way to be an alarmist, as evidenced above, it is simply a fact that those who wish us harm will manipulate any weakness that we have, in this case a porous border, to accomplish their goals. This is not a time to let economics and greed override the constitutional mandate for the Federal government to protect its citizenry. We must have a secure border and if the Federal government refuses to do its job, then so be it, we will do it in spite of them.

Plan

For numerous reasons we need to secure our border. The questions are:

• How do we build a wall and what does that look like?

• How and what do we do with the illegal/undocumented that are already here?

• How can we support the Mexican citizens in fixing their problems at home?

What does the wall look like? There are many options out there and I am open to all ideas. But it must encompass the entire Arizona border and it must be done in the most cost effective manner possible. It has been suggested that we look into Israel's border and the system that they use. I have also heard the idea of building two walls. One at the border, 150 yard buffer zone and then another. The point is that it must be done and it must be real. No gimmicks.

So who is going to build it? I believe that this can also address the undocumented migrants in Arizona today. Though various means (pay-stubs, proof of residence, etc.), illegal individuals must prove that they have been Arizona residents for a certain period of time, that they have not broken any other laws and that they are supporting their dependents properly through maintaining their education and well being. Those heads of household that can prove these things will be eligible to become laborers on the project. They will be paid a livable wage (including room and board on-site) commensurate with their experience and their work ethic, but far below the current wage rates. This accomplishes two goals. First, it dramatically lowers the construction costs and second it allows the individual to pay retribution for violating the laws and sovereignty of the United States. In the evenings, they will attend classes in which they will learn English and American history. Their room, board and education expenses will be deducted from their wages. Their dependents will be allowed to stay in their current situation and as long as the participation requirements are being met, this will remain so. The workers will be allowed to return home on the weekends (perhaps even working four, ten hour days in lieu of five eights) to take care of their duties as the head of their households. Upon completion of the project, the workers and their dependents will receive their work visas, allowing them to continue employment, legally in the United States.  These people can never, under any circumstances become United States citizens.

Anyone who does not initially qualify for the program or fails to live up to the required standards will, along with their dependents be immediately returned to their country of origin. No exceptions. These will include any and all individuals in our state and federal penitentiaries.

Any and all employers using illegal workers must and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Currently, 24 states have economic development offices in Mexico and of those only three (Arizona, Idaho, and Kentucky) do not have an office in Mexico City, a metropolis of 20 million people and the country's business hub.[15] Mexico is our southern neighbor, it only makes sense that by expanding our business ties there, we can accomplish several goals. First, we can open up a nation with the world's 13^th largest economy to the export of goods produced right here in Arizona. We can work out employment agreements, helping both nations. By becoming partners, we can gain a greater influence with the people of Mexico, facilitating their ability to clean up the challenges that they face in their homeland which necessitate them crossing our borders for a better life. Perhaps we can gain a greater influence with the government of Mexico, working in unison to fight the illegal drug trades that are ravaging both countries, while concurrently preventing the incursion of terrorists that threaten the stability of the United States, which by default threatens the stability of Mexico. These are just some of the plethora of possibilities that could come to pass if we set out a long term relationship building strategy with Mexico.

Conclusion

What we have are two distinct issues that overlap. The first is border security and the second is immigration. Both the Mexican and American governments have a multi-billion dollar incentive to not secure our borders. As a state, we cannot allow the allure of money and those corrupted by it, to manipulate and endanger the citizens we have been given the duty to protect. The border must be secured once and for all.

Immigrants that cross the borders of the United States without moving through the proper procedures immediately violate the sovereignty of the U. S. and are in violation of law. However, we cannot deny the culpability of not only the employers here in America, but the governments of both countries. Further, we cannot deny the fact that we have not responded to the plight of so many millions of our neighbors. A plight that is so great that they are willing to risk their very lives in order to attain what America has to offer. Neither side is free from blame so we must step outside the box, intellectual honesty must prevail and we must implement strategies similar to those outlined above so that we can move forward not only as citizens of our respective countries, but brothers and sisters in humanity.

Leaders lead. They do not sit idly by while the people they have sworn to protect remain exposed, point fingers and for lack of a better term, whine while negligent government bureaucracies continue the inexcusable dereliction of their duty.  When you elect me to the Arizona House of Representatives, this will stop. I welcome the opportunity to work with all sides on these issues, but there is no more time to tolerate those who are either unwilling or simply incapable of moving forward. Whether they are paralyzed by fear, ignorance, partisan immaturity or just a defeatist mentality is not for me to decide. The people of Arizona deserve better and I will, by the Grace of God, give you better.

In His Service and Yours,

Brett M Petillo