The American Leadership Fund is currently supporting a campaign to raise funds to help pass the Utah Immigration Enforcement Act, and others like it around the nation. The text of the proposed bill is found here and is an improved model of the Arizona law. It will impact other states in the U.S. as well.
“Utah’s Legacy: Preserving the Future” is a statement of principle regarding illegal immigration. If you agree with these principles, please sign up today on the email sign-up tab above. Your generous contribution is welcome by clicking on the American Leadership Fund tab above.
Utah’s Legacy: Preserving the Future
A Principled Imperative
Founding Father, author of The Declaration of Independence, and former United States President Thomas Jefferson said,
“Are there no inconveniences to be thrown into the scale against the advantage expected by a multiplication of numbers by the importation of foreigners? … Suppose 20 millions of republican Americans thrown all of a sudden into France, what would be the condition of that kingdom? … If it would be more turbulent, less happy, less strong, we may believe that the addition of half a million of foreigners to our present numbers would produce a similar effect here.”
Alexander Hamilton maintained the safety of the republic depends,
“…essentially on the energy of a common national sentiment, on a uniformity of principles and habits, on the exemption of the citizens from foreign bias and prejudice, and on that love of country which will almost invariably be found to be closely connected with birth, education and family.”
In 1794, George Washington wisely stated,
“…the policy or advantage of [immigration] taking place in a body (I mean the settling of them in a body) may be much questioned; for, by so doing, they retain the language, habits, and principles (good or bad) which they bring with them. Whereas by an intermixture with our people, they, or their descendants, get assimilated to our customs, measures, and laws: in a word, soon become one people.”
WE SUPPORT AND DEFEND the U.S. Constitution and its original intent as our basis for resolve.
WE UPHOLD Article VI, that requires both the federal government and the states to work together to uphold the law. When that fails, Article I, Section 10, Clause 3, also gives states the right to defend their borders against “eminent danger.”
WE AFFIRM the original intent of Amendment 14 to apply to the children of slaves who had been freed under Amendment 13, and not to the children of illegal immigrants, as there was no formal immigration law at the time. Under Amendment 10, powers not enumerated to the federal government are given to the states. Setting the qualifications of citizenship, not regulating immigration, was one of those limited, federally-enumerated powers.
The Rule of Law
As early as the First Century B.C., Roman Philosopher Cicero claimed,
“We are in bondage to the law so that we might be free.”
In the 1800s, French Economist Frederic Bastiat weighed in on the importance of the rule of law,
“See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them and gives it to the other persons to whom it doesn’t belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish that law without delay … this is the principle of justice, peace, order, stability, harmony and logic.”
In the 1980s, former United States President Ronald Reagan explained to the nation and international communities,
“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.”
WE OBEY, HONOR AND SUSTAIN the law of the land.
WE SUPPORT local law enforcement officers and their duty to protect the safety of our families, neighborhoods and businesses from all crimes including those committed by illegal immigrants.
WE DEFEND our communities against:
- Amnesty for rampant job-related, illegal immigrant-driven, felony identity theft
- Amnesty for employers who have and continue to employ illegal aliens falsely using the Social Security numbers of Utah children
- Amnesty for felony document and Social Security fraud
- Amnesty for perjury on I-9 forms
- Amnesty for illegal aliens involved in organized crime drug rings, human trafficking and terrorism
- Amnesty for individuals who have illegally and negatively impacted the futures of more than 50,000 Utah children to date
- Amnesty for people who have lied to United States Consular Officers and U.S. Immigration and Customs officials at our ports of entry in order to fraudulently obtain visas and then illegally overstay those visas
- Amnesty for organizations, including state offices and officials, that aid and abet illegal aliens in direct violation of federal law, creating magnets and sanctuaries
- Amnesty for employers who pass the social costs associated with illegal immigration on to Utah taxpayers to increase their profit margins
Family & Compassion
WE AFFIRM the natural family as the essential anchor of a free nation. Parents who obey the law also strengthen their families and their children’s opportunities.
WE BELIEVE in exercising compassion without forfeiting justice. Compassion for legal residents and citizens should not be compromised for the sake of those committing the crimes. A nation owes its allegiance first to its citizens and should avoid affirmative action policies.
WE SUPPORT common-sense measures which remove the incentive for continued illegal immigration, a policy which gives those who desire legal status and citizenship the ability to offer restitution under the law for crimes committed, a policy which enforces proper notification and a reasonable time frame to return to their countries of origin and which clearly defines the process to qualify to return to the United States legally.
A Constitutionally-Sound Economy
Father of the U.S. Constitution James Madison said,
“I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on the objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.”
Thomas Jefferson summarized the original intent of every American Founder with this sentiment,
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.”
WE DECLARE the Constitution of the United States the Supreme Law of the Land and claim its sovereignty over international laws, agreements and policies that undermine the U.S. economy.
WE DEFEND our right to the pursuit of happiness and a strong and prosperous economy, which requires a growing population.
WE SUPPORT a free-enterprise system within our borders that allows U.S. businesses and workers to prosper instead of forcing competition with foreign nations deliberately undercutting our standard of living, wages, private sector jobs and our dollar.
A Future of Freedom
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher explained,
“There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It’s our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations.”
WE WELCOME immigrants who come to the United States legally and who commit to be responsible citizens, rather than expecting to take advantage of taxpayer-funded services for which they have not paid.
WE SUPPORT the limited role of the federal government, and WE URGE elected officials to return to Constitutional principles of governance and to remove entitlements responsibly, which are bankrupting our nation and children’s future.
With these principles in mind, WE FORMALLY DECLARE this imperative and our support for Utah State Representative Stephen Sandstrom’s Immigration Enforcement Act and WE CALL upon every Utah State legislator to vote for its adoption during 2011 Utah Legislative Session.
(c) 2010 American Leadership Fund, 999 Murray-Holladay Road, Suite 202, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117
I’m absolutely in favor of getting the federal government to do something about the border problem. However, I fail to find anything in the Utah State Constitution that authorizes the state government to decide who can and who cannot live within the state of Utah. I support the Utah Pact as the best approach to the problems that fall within the jurisdiction of Utah state government.
The Utah Compact provides some guidelines but does not present specific legislation. Several bills will be presented during the upcoming session and then we can decide which will be most effective in solving the problems Utah faces because the federal government has refused to enforce current immigration laws.
By the way, the Constitution gives Congress the authority to define citizenship (Article I, Section 8), but it is silent on immigration.
As such, Jefferson and Madison (who knew quite a lot about the Constitution, since he is the primary author) spoke out in favor of states sovereignty/ federalism with the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (Principles of 98) which directly addressed the matter of the state’s role in immigration. The states won then, and they must win again if this nation wants to remain a sovereign and free republic.
The Utah Compact provides some guidelines but does not present specific legislation.
Agreed.
After much careful consideration, I’ve arrived at the conclusion that the way forward for the state of Utah in this matter is to operate within the bounds set by the Utah State Constitution to deal with the problems we’ve been dealt by the failure of the federal government to control our nation’s borders. It will cost us money and effort, but in the end we will be better for having taken that path. But it is not within the charter of the state government to act as proxy for the federal government. To pretend so is as egregious a violation of the rule of law as for the federal government to overstep its bounds to meddle in state affairs.
As I see it, the process we need to follow is to enumerate the problems caused the state by illegal immigration, and then to craft solutions to those problems that are consistent with who we are as a state and as a people. Most of the problems can be summarized under the heading of “people living beneath the radar”. When a significant segment of the population feels a need to live below the radar, it pushes people into negative practices, such as identity theft, exploitation of labor, exploitation of services, and so forth. One of the primary goals of legislation should be to provide a mechanism whereby those currently living below the radar find it easier to live above the radar than below, and to participate fully in the same way that the rest of us do.
We all have roles. My first and foremost role is “human being”. I value other human beings. It is only incidental to me in that role how my neighbors came to live in my community. I value them for who they are and what they can and do contribute to the community. My desire is to help them better understand who we are as a community and to help them be an integral part of the community.
Unfortunately, many conservatives are pushing us into the (personal) role of ostracizing, denigration, hostility, and division. That’s not who we are.
My role as a citizen of the Great State of Utah is similar – I want us to have laws and regulations that will unite us as a people, that will protect us from criminal acts, and enable us to move forward as free people who choose to cooperate and make Utah a better place. I don’t consider living in Utah a “criminal act”, regardless of how someone came to live here. All humans are endowed by their Creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
My role as a citizen of the United States of America is, in the matter of immigration, to encourage the federal government to understand the difficulty, cost, and harm created by its failure to appropriately enforce immigration law, and to encourage it to take action to stop current practices.
I’ve always suspected there are shadowy figures behind the scenes who make decisions and give marching orders on matters such as the enforcement of immigration law. If some malevolent person or body decided to flood us with illegal immigrants in order to create division and conflict, shall we take the bait, or shall we turn it to our good? If we could incorporate all people of good will living in our state into a cohesive and cooperative body, all fully participating and carrying our part of the load, we will be better off for it. If we instead seek to isolate and drive from us those who have come seeking the blessings of liberty, it is my opinion that we will have failed and that the consequences will be dire.