I really wanted to believe President Bush would be willing to stake what political capital he has left with conservatives and swing voters on illegal immigration, or the correction thereof. Sitting on my bed watching the speech, I hoped he would not play into the political correctness so many of us deal with on a daily basis. Afterall, what’s so politically correct about denouncing the breaking of our border and entry laws? But I was wrong.

President Bush played right into the centrist scheme on the issue of illegal immigration. He tried to include measures into his immigration plan that not only played to the conservative base like protecting the border and promoting stronger enforcement measures, but also tried to reach out to more liberal members of society, capitalizing on the need to support lawbreaking by providing a toned down version of amnesty to illegals. I find this not only wrong, but insulting to the point of anger. Lawbreaking must not be rewarded; providing a path to citizenship gives illegals a chance to be rewarded for their unlawful behavior. In an ideal world, illegal immigrants should not be offered citizenship at all, but rather a chance for lawful residency for those with extensive American ties only.

My first reaction to President Bush’s movement on the idea of National Guard troops at the border was one of excitement and satisfaction. However, the president’s plan did not call for National Guard troops to secure the border, but only to provide logistics, training, and intelligence in support of border agents. This move is only a bandaid in solving the larger problem of not enough border agents or physical security. There are large portions of the southern border that remain open and easily crossable by immigrants wishing to come to our country illegally. This must be stopped.

One issue I did not hear President Bush speak much of is the issue of businesses hiring illegal immigrants. All in all, I believe businesses must be penalized to the full extent of the law for hiring illegals. One major reason immigrants come to this country in the first place is to make more money. By drying up the job market for illegal immigrants, people will be less likely to cross the border illegally. Businesses should also confirm Social Security numbers and other documentation of applicants to confirm their immigration status. Those immigrants being paid under the table must be found out so they can be deported, while those committing document fraud should be prosecuted then sent back to their native country.

So many people have stated their opinion on this matter, from condemning illegal immigrants to labeling those who wish to send illegal immigrants back to their native countries as biggots. However, the bottom line remains, we must enforce our entry laws and swiftly deal with the millions of illegal aliens in our country. President Bush’s speech, while a welcome start to correction, has not given me much confidence in his determination or leadership in dealing with this problem.