Much like stage magicians who use smoke and mirrors to deceive their audiences, President Obama, with his lies and misdirected “facts,” deceives the general public about the truth concerning his enforcement of America’s immigration laws.
The illegal alien “round up” charade. Although U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement rounded up 121 illegal immigrants on January 2, the raids were largely conducted on illegal immigrants from Central American who already faced deportation orders. Fueled by rumors confirmed to be false, the administration wants us to believe these actions represent a serious crackdown. But the detainment of a handful of lawbreakers, who have run out of legal options to remain in the U.S., does virtually nothing to address the fundamental immigration problems we face. It’s nothing but smoke and mirrors.
As the founder and president of The Remembrance Project (www.TheRemembranceProject.org), I have traveled across the country and witnessed firsthand the immense tragedies suffered by countless families perpetrated upon them through the scourge of illegal immigration. I am speaking of the widespread and horrific killings of Kate Steinle and Jamiel Shaw and many other like them.
What about jobs for Americans and our kids? In his State of the Union Address, Obama said that his plan is to ensure that every American who will “work hard” gets a fair shot at a job. But Obama has been steadfast in his 7-year political jobs war on U.S. citizens by instituting unlawful immigration policies that deprive Americans of the very opportunities he now claims to champion.
With 92 million Americans who are not in the workforce, we are witnessing the largest number and percentage of jobless Americans in modern history. To make matters worse, President Obama, along with Congress, has compounded our job losses through “fair” trade agreements that have resulted in the additional losses of millions of manufacturing jobs and the evaporation of spin-off businesses that these jobs create in our communities. Obama’s jobs program? Smoke and mirrors.
The last straw in the betrayal of Americans. Unfortunately, with the passage of the recent omnibus spending bill, the Republican establishment is again complicit in this sell out of America. The omnibus bill:
- Funds large-scale resettlement of Syrian refugees in our communities, despite the obvious terrorist-related dangers.
- Fully funds Obama’s unconstitutional executive amnesty programs.
- Maintains funding for legal defense of illegal immigrants challenging their removal from the U.S., of course, at American taxpayer expense.
- Allows sanctuary cities/jurisdictions that obstruct federal immigration enforcement to continue unabated. The House approved legislation to defund sanctuary jurisdictions in July, after the murder of Kate Steinle in San Francisco, but failed to stand by their principles in their voting for the omnibus bill.
- Triples the number of low-skilled and unskilled guest workers eligible the H-2B program and fails to make the E-Verify program permanent, guaranteeing the further erosion of Americans’ job opportunities.
This betrayal of conservative values is precisely why I am now running for Congress in Texas’ 7th District (Houston). My congressman supported the omnibus, all recent “fair” trade deals and has repeatedly backtracked on promises made here at home and when in Washington, cowered from and empowered the liberal Obama agenda.
Real immigration reform will come neither through the current administration’s pinprick raids nor through sending back the very politicians who have willingly succumbed to a corrupt president. It will come with new leadership in the White House and Congress, leaders who will courageously stand for the rule of law and repeal the freedom-crushing laws most Americans strongly oppose.
Conservatives have an enormous responsibility and opportunity this election year. We can change Washington. One race, one liberty-driven candidate at a time, we can and we will take back the America we all love.
Maria Espinoza is a candidate for U.S. Congress in Texas’ 7th District. (www.MariaforAmerica.com). She will be the keynote speaker at next month’s Lincoln-Reagan dinner “Reclaim America” in Deming, New Mexico. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
