Hide & Seek

Edward Snowden has been credited with leaking more than 1.7 million government documents and exposing the extent of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance program. This release of information is considered the largest breach of national security data in history. With his disclosure, Americans have learned that the NSA worked with technology companies and other government agencies to record phone calls, read emails, tap into smart phones and gather other information about our lives.

We took it in stride by joking that if the NSA is going to read my Facebook status, the least they could do is “friend” me and hit “like.” The government has garnered information about us without the use of warrants or even the court system. Under the guise of national security, the Obama administration has mainstreamed the idea of watching our every move.

Our physical location can be tracked through smart phones. When we visit a website, ads are delivered based upon previous websites visited. Companies track our purchases through electronic transactions and up-sell us on complementary products or services. As you read this, a new federal database will track our credit ratings and other financial information.

Technology is so advanced that, from a military base in the U.S., we can pilot a drone in Afghanistan to locate, target and kill a terrorist without sacrificing the life of one U.S. soldier. It is truly amazing. However, in the midst of such advances in surveillance and technology, we are told that more than 10 million illegal aliens within our borders cannot be deported because they “live in the shadows.” Seriously?

Yet, when we demand the enforcement of immigration laws, presidential candidates, pundits and other “political elites” say, “We can’t just deport 10 million illegal aliens.” They go on to say how impossible it is and, to ice the cake, that deportation separates families. Most of these same skeptics posit that we must provide a “pathway to citizenship.” The illegal aliens are already here and a “pathway” is the compassionate thing to do. So, we cannot locate more than 10 million illegal aliens, but we can track the movements of more than 100 million Americans? Truly, this defies all logic.

Okay, let’s suspend logic for a moment and concur with the amnesty lobby’s supposition; we cannot locate and deport illegal aliens. It is an arduous task. Our next question should be, “Why not just enforce the laws on the books?” If the government enforces the laws, illegal aliens leave under their own accord (attrition through enforcement). The illegal aliens will either go to a location where the laws are less strict and rarely enforced (e.g., sanctuary cities), or they will return to their country of origin if enforcement is strenuous.

For example, when E-Verify is a requirement prior to hiring, illegal aliens leave the state because they know they will not pass the employment check. If you don’t think enforcement works, try not paying your taxes. The IRS will hound and harass you continuously. If you don’t pay your taxes, they will seize everything you’ve worked for. Guess what? The next time, you will pay your taxes; enforcement works.

So, on this, I yield. We cannot deport more than 10 million illegal aliens. However, what is stopping the administration from enforcing the laws that are already on the books, especially when enforcement works?