MY ADVICE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

  This morning as I was preparing to leave for work I watched a reporter interview a young Honduran couple. They were part of the so-called caravan that is headed toward our southern border. The couple was pushing a two year old child in a stroller. Weariness was etched on their faces. For me as a father and grandfather it was heartbreaking realizing their plight. I could not imagine traveling that far in the stifling heat of Mexico under those conditions with a small child. Their options are very limited. Turn back and face the hell that they escaped from or go forward with no guarantee that they will be able to enter the United States. The third option is to seek asylum in Mexico. If I was in their shoes I would probably do the same thing they are doing. As an American, however; I realize that we simply can't allow illegal immigration to continue. We face the ultimate prospect of becoming what these people are escaping from at some point in our future. We must protect our sovereignty as a nation. If I could sit down and advise president Trump this is what I would suggest. My plan has room for improvement but I believe that it would work.

1. Place an electrical fence along our border. Build the wall at a distance behind it with razor wire along the top. Place as many resources and troops on the border as necessary until the wall is built.

2.. Meet with Juan Hernandez, the president of Honduras and other of the third world countries, including Mexico, that are allowing their people to be mistreated and starved. I would tell them in no uncertain terms that if they don't actively work to help their people and change their plight the United States will do whatever it takes short of a military invasion to overthrow their government. We will give financial aid and support to any opposition force that is willing to reform their country..

3. Build a series of Ellis Islands. I don't mean literal Islands off of our shores but processing centers where people can apply for entrance into our country. If their desire is to become American citizens they would go through a thorough vetting process like our Ellis Island ancestors. They would be checked for tuberculosis and other communicable diseases. The applicants would go through a criminal and security background check. Build comfortable compounds to house these applicants while they are going through the process and call on volunteer charities to help feed and care for them. Only those people who can better our society and contribute to it should be accepted. In other words people who are willing to go to work and not here to bleed our welfare system.

  Many times when I talk to people about illegal immigration I like to use the Titanic as an analogy. When the Titanic was sinking many of the lifeboats were allowed to be lowered with only a few people in them or not completely full. This problem reflected the problems of social class at that time. Far too many of the wealthy class survived as opposed to the lower class passengers. More importantly it exposed a lack of leadership from the Titanic crew. They should not have lowered any lifeboats until they were totally filled with passengers and a crew to manage them. In the movie Titanic there is the scene when Molly Brown pleads with a Titanic crewman to go back and try to pick up survivors flailing about in the ice cold water off in the distance. They can be heard screaming and pleading for help. A truly heart wrenching situation. When Molly persists in begging the crewman to turn the boat around he threatens to throw her overboard if she doesn't shut her pie hole. Hollywood makes the sailor appear to be totally heartless and this exchange may or may not have occurred. The sailor, however; was making a valid point. If he had guided the boat into the middle of these desperate people there is a good chance that their boat would have been swamped and everyone would have died. To me America is a huge lifeboat. Yes we have a lot of room available but we are in danger of being swamped. If this lifeboat sinks; we all drown.