USA MEDIA ALL TIME SAYING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ARE LAW ABIDING PEOPLE BUT THE FACTS DO NOT VOUCH FOR THIS IN THE COUNTRY 8TH OCTOBER 2013 For years advocates of amnesty and high levels of immigration have described the illegal alien population as one made up of otherwise law-abiding people who have committed no violation other than the simple act of crossing a border illegally or overstaying a visa.1 Journalists routinely invoke this language when writing about amnesty, conspicuously avoiding any discussion of the various crimes the average working illegal alien commits. Many politicians have also embraced the myth of the otherwise law-abiding illegal alien in an effort to promote amnesty, arguing that illegal aliens are no threat to the United States.2 But the average illegal alien violates numerous statutes, often creating real victims. This Backgrounder details the many statutes the average illegal alien who is simply here to work may be violating. The violations include laws involving the entry, presence, and travel of illegal aliens as well as laws related to employment such as perjury and identity theft. Examples of oft-violated but under-enforced laws include: False Personation of a U.S. Citizen (18 U.S.C. § 911). Illegal aliens often present themselves as U.S. citizens, an act punishable by up to five years in jail, a felony. This law is often cited in immigration prosecutions and may involve, for example, an alien claiming U.S. citizenship to his employer. Fraud and False Statements (18 U.S.C. § 1001). It is common for illegal aliens to make false statements to the government or on official documents. An illegal alien violates this law when claiming to be a U.S. citizen on an I-9 Employment Eligibility form and faces a fine and up to five years imprisonment. Social Security Fraud (42 U.S.C. § 408). This statute has been invoked where an illegal alien provided a false Social Security number for the purpose of acquiring a job, where an illegal alien used a fraudulent Social Security number for the purpose of acquiring a drivers license, and when an illegal alien used a Social Security card belonging to a citizen in order to obtain Section 8 housing, for example. Violation of this statute can result in a fine and/or imprisonment up to five years. The court can also require violators to provide restitution to the victims. This Backgrounder does not address crimes of violence, property crimes like vandalism, or other acts like gang activity and drunk driving. The focus is on statutes that come into play when a person enters the country illegally or overstays a visa and becomes employed. Over the past several years, the Obama administration has narrowed the scope of immigration enforcement, promising to focus on what President Obama considers the worst of the worst violent offenders.3 But just because an illegal alien isnt a violent threat to society, it does not follow that his or her presence is not a threat to the rule of law, taxpayers, and society generally. Despite the opinion of amnesty advocates — namely, that the United States can give a pass to violations of law without suffering any repercussions — our nations immigration laws do serve a variety of purposes and are ultimately meant to protect those who are in the United States lawfully. Nevertheless, illegal aliens who violate the statutes listed in this report remain a low priority under the guidelines set forth by the Obama administration.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 02:12:22 +0000
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