In response to tonight’s prime time speech on illegal immigration given by President Bush, I offer my own critique of his so-called “plan” for immigration reform:

First, the United States must secure its borders. This is a basic responsibility of a sovereign nation. It is also an urgent requirement of our national security. Our objective is straightforward: The border should be open to trade and lawful immigration and shut to illegal immigrants, as well as criminals, drug dealers and terrorists.

It is imperative the United States secure its borders first and foremost. As a nation of laws, we must enforce the laws already on the books or create new laws to replace those entry laws that have become ineffective in stemming illegal aliens from crossing our border. As a sovereign nation, it is the duty of our government to provide for the defense of our citizenry. As the world becomes ever more dangerous, our government must secure what is our weakest link in our defense - the holes in our border. The government must prevent undocumented, illegal aliens from trespassing onto our soil, enslaving our citizenry with higher taxes, more crime, and the corruption of our justice system.

Training thousands of new Border Patrol agents and bringing the most advanced technology to the border will take time. Yet the need to secure our border is urgent. So I am announcing several immediate steps to strengthen border enforcement during this period of transition:

One way to help during this transition is to use the National Guard. So in coordination with governors, up to 6,000 Guard members will be deployed to our southern border. The Border Patrol will remain in the lead. The Guard will assist the Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems analyzing intelligence installing fences and vehicle barriers building patrol roads and providing training. Guard units will not be involved in direct law enforcement activities that duty will be done by the Border Patrol. This initial commitment of Guard members would last for a period of one year. After that, the number of Guard forces will be reduced as new Border Patrol agents and new technologies come online. It is important for Americans to know that we have enough Guard forces to win the war on terror, respond to natural disasters, and help secure our border.

While the deployment of near 6,000 National Guard troops is a welcome start to securing our open borders, the suggestion of National Guard helping with logistics and intel is only a bandaid to the real problem - our government not taking a strong stance to secure our border. Both the northern and southern border must be defended with the National Guard under the control of state governors and given law enforcement responsibility at both the northern and southern borders. We must give the Border Patrol the help they need, while striking a nerve with new illegals by providing state law enforcement support though use of the National Guard.

Second, to secure our border, we must create a temporary worker program. The reality is that there are many people on the other side of our border who will do anything to come to America to work and build a better life. They walk across miles of desert in the summer heat, or hide in the back of 18-wheelers to reach our country. This creates enormous pressure on our border that walls and patrols alone will not stop. To secure the border effectively, we must reduce the numbers of people trying to sneak across.

Therefore, I support a temporary worker program that would create a legal path for foreign workers to enter our country in an orderly way, for a limited period of time. This program would match willing foreign workers with willing American employers for jobs Americans are not doing. Every worker who applies for the program would be required to pass criminal background checks. And temporary workers must return to their home country at the conclusion of their stay.

While the reality is true that 12 millions illegal aliens cannot just be lifted out of our territories, it does not give Congress an excuse to propose or pass a buttoned-down, reformed version of amnesty. Illegal aliens must be punished harshly or deported if necessary, in order to quell new illegal aliens from coming into our country. It would be wise for the president to take a hard line on this matter and not reward illegal immigrants for their unlawful behavior. Allowing illegals to get in line behind immigrants who come here legally at the citizenship counter promotes an attitude of irresponsibility and unlawfulness. Knowing full well they will be rewarded with a path to citizenship upon arrival, immigrants will continue to offer an illegal unskilled labor force that drives up crime and dries taxpayer dollars.

While President Bush continues to push his guest worker program, the idea that immigrants will do the jobs Americans won’t do continues to be inherently false. There are true Americans everywhere who clean up pig feces, who straighten up hotel rooms, or do any number of low level labor jobs around the country. The fact is that Americans have always done what it took to become successful, a trait inherent to our society that values hard work, individual determination, and natural, God-given rights. To think otherwise is not only uneducated, but absurd.

Fourth, we must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair to those who are here lawfully and it would invite further waves of illegal immigration.

The bottom line is that illegal aliens must be punished for breaking our immigration laws one way or another. One way is to massively fine illegal immigrats for breaking our entry laws or committing fraud by using someone else’s Social Security number to obtain a job. They should not be offered citizenship, but rather deported when found out.

Fifth, we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot, which has made us one Nation out of many peoples. The success of our country depends upon helping newcomers assimilate into our society, and embrace our common identity as Americans. Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of our history, respect for the flag we fly, and an ability to speak and write the English language. English is also the key to unlocking the opportunity of America. English allows newcomers to go from picking crops to opening a grocery from cleaning offices to running offices from a life of low- paying jobs to a diploma, a career, and a home of their own. When immigrants assimilate and advance in our society, they realize their dreams, they renew our spirit and they add to the unity of America.

President Bush is right, America is a melting pot. It is a melting pot rich in history and common virtue that allows us to take pride in our American heritage. However, by refusing to assimilate into our American culture by breaking our entry laws and refusing to learn English, illegal immigrants have struck at the foundation of Americanism. They have shown no respect for the American way of life, nor the capitalist economic system and constitution which have led the way to freedom for millions of other immigrants who have come into our country the legal way. I suggest Congress make English the official language of the United States, starting first by printing all federal signs and literature in English and promoting other English-language laws under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

While I can sit here and denounce the president’s immigration plan all day, the proposed plan is definately a start to promoting a secure border, while allowing immigrants to enjoy the promise of America. We must secure the border first and foremost, then create immigration laws that promote legal immigration and stem illegal border crossings.

Read the full text of the president’s speech here.