I don’t normally publish in December, but the rush of events and the fact that I missed a few opportunities during my flood displacement this fall encouraged me to break with custom and briefly comment on a few items. **In early November we passed the 100th anniversary of the final takeover by the Bolsheviks of […]
Sanctuary and Sovereignty
Texas Senate Bill 4, recently adopted by the Texas Legislature, and related federal initiatives designed to penalize so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions who give cover to illegal immigrants, have produced a firestorm of reaction. Some of it is understandable. Most credibly, local law enforcement needs communication links in the illegal population that are undermined by the threat […]
National Review on Immigration Policy
The editors of National Review make a very good point in their March 20 issue that is worth passing along: “Supporters of the immigration status quo (or worse) are warning that immigration control would cost us. The New York Times editorializes that our economy will be one trillion dollars smaller without illegal immigrants. David Brooks […]
Who is Really Building Walls?
In the Sunday edition of the Houston Chronicle this week, there is a letter from a group of nine Houston clergy reflecting a unified response to President Trump’s “ban” on refugees and immigrants from particular countries. A few pages later, there is a report that a Vatican senior official is calling out the policy, saying […]
Immigration: The Wedge Issue
In his own inimical way, Donald Trump has again forced the immigration issue to the top of the charts with remarks that actually include a number of good points, but it’s unfortunate that through all the bombastic tone he can’t productively articulate the critical nuances that are necessary to actually craft a winning message. Over […]
Immigration Disconnect
On July 4th, President Obama made ceremonial remarks to a class of new U. S. citizens in which he indicated that we want America to continue to be accessible to the “best and brightest” of those who strive to become Americans. How true this should be, but he is either disingenuous or obviously totally out […]
Here We Go Again I – Immigration Reform
I reviewed my archives and found that over the life of the Pilgrim I have written more on immigration than any subject, and I will readily admit that I don’t have much to add. But I will restate some basics and add a couple of thoughts: I am not a “restrictionist” as that term has […]
Compounding Lawlessness
Those who would change a culture corrupt its language, particularly by hiding the reality of an evil they desire behind a less revealing name. — Politics and the English Language, George Orwell. I thought about Orwell’s quote when I recently caught an exchange between two friends and fellow CNN contributors on the terms we use […]
An Immigration Litmus Test in Alabama
The Alabama immigration law that was to have become effective this week may be the ultimate test of whether or not we can truly enforce our border security, our sovereignty, and the rule of law. It’s a tough law, probably much more rigorous than the Arizona law that produced so much angst, and to read […]
More Abdication
Speaking of abdication, is there a better example of it than the continuing abject failure of the federal government to enforce its immigration laws? And the very idea of the President of Mexico standing before a joint session of the U. S. Congress castigating one of our states for attempting to protect its property and […]