Illegal Immigration

Open Email to Sen. Cruz (TX):

Dear Sen. Cruz,
    Thank you for your form letter on Immigration. You presumably sent this in response to something I had sent you, but I don't recall having written on immigration. However, I welcome the opportunity to make a few comments.
    It is interesting that for almost 200 years illegal immigration was not an issue in the US. Only within the last 10 years or so have politicians discovered that it can be used as a political tool to improve their chances for reelection.
    For most of US history, immigrants came to the US seeking freedom and prosperity, as you mentioned. Conversely, US immigration authorities worked on the principle of what the immigrant could contribute to the US. Did he have a job to go to? Did he have relatives or friends who would give him support? Did he have any other means of subsistence. Was he healthy enough to work? And, a few similar questions. People who looked sick, coughed, or had any other symptoms of disease were rejected, and that meant sent back to where they came from.    During some periods of US history, US immigration authorities also allowed a considerable influx of immigrants from a particular country, based on the fact that local conditions in their home country had changed to the extent that they were being persecuted. An example of this was the period of Cuban immigration, after Castro had seized power and established a socialistic government. Cuban immigrants at that time essentially met all US previous immigration qualifications. Your father was among them. He was never a drain on the US economy and made a valuable contribution to the US with your birth and education.
    Conversely, the political opportunism of Pres. Obama and Democrats has allowed entrance of a huge number of illegal immigrants to the US. Because they were not screened in the traditional manner, many of them are indigent in attitude and general mentality, although they were sufficiently physically capable to enter the US under subterfuge. Many also meet the traditional requirements for previous controlled immigration, even though they were not subjected to screening. This results in a mixed bag, with great difficulty in deciding what to do. We have a tremendous number on handouts and a tremendous number making contributions. While the balance is favorable to Democrats, because of previously mentioned votes, it is not good for the country.
    I agree with you on your opposition to Democrat generated immigration bills, which attempt to maintain for Democrats the probability of increased votes to remain in office. I also sympathize with you in your attempts to develop a workable procedure for the proper handling of illegal immigrants. I have no specific suggestions other than to point out that the main problem is the illegal immigration. Previous regulation of immigration worked satisfactorily for a great number of years. We only need to return to that and somehow eliminate the subsequent political adulteration which led to the poor situation in which we now find ourselves.