Each Monday, we’ll pick a topic and let you take it from there. Our initial discussion: “Should President Trump declare a national emergency and bypass Congress to fund the border wall?” Today, Anthony Watts takes the “Pro” side, and Matt York has the “Con.”
PRO
By Anthony Watts
From a conservative viewpoint, since there’s unwillingness for cooperation from the other side of the aisle, labeling the wall as “ineffective,” “unnecessary” a “waste” and “immoral,” this seems like the only course of action that remains.
What amazes me is that we are even having this conversation at all, because as “8 U.S. Code § 1325. Improper entry by alien” states:
“Any alien who (1) enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or (2) eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers, or (3) attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact, shall, for the first commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both, and, for a subsequent commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18, or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both.”
It’s the law, so why are some so afraid to enhance enforcement by strengthening our border?
I think it is because some in political circles see a source for voter rolls. After all, there have been multiple pushes to give voting rights to those who came here illegally. Recently in Texas, election officials announced that as many as 58,000 people voted illegally in state elections spanning almost two decades. Those numbers are in dispute, but clearly at least there have been cases where votes were illegally cast because no proof of citizenship is required to vote.
We are a nation of immigrants. In 2016 immigrants comprised 13.5% of the U.S. population, and we hosted one-fifth of all the world’s immigrants in 2017. We have averaged about 1 million legal immigrants per year that went through the process of education and naturalization to become good citizens. It is unfair to those who went through that process to coddle those who came here illegally.
Since the U.S. Border Patrol formed in 1924, illegal immigration has been increasing. In the 1990s we saw big upticks in drug trafficking and those who came here illegally. Since then, concerns about our nation’s security have become a major issue.
According to President Trump, those who have entered the country illegally avoid $113 billion a year in income tax revenue. Illegal immigration enables drugs, crime, sex trafficking, and human misery.
Stop this nonsense once and for all — build the wall.
CON
By Matt York
State of Emergency. Noun: a situation of national danger or disaster in which a government suspends normal constitutional procedures in order to regain control.
Butte County residents can agree that the Camp Fire was most certainly a state of emergency. Most would agree about the attacks on 9/11 qualify. And all would agree that a state of emergency should not be declared in an effort to fulfill a campaign promise.
Let’s rewind to nearly four years ago. On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump officially announced his candidacy for the presidency. Promises around the wall were immediate:
“I will build a great wall ― and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me ― and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
So why has it taken him nearly three years to threaten a state of emergency? Why didn’t he declare a state of emergency on the day he was sworn in? Why didn’t the he declare a state of emergency on the day before he lost control of Congress in early January 2019?
The answer is clear: He wants his wall, and he wants to fulfill his campaign promise. If Congress won’t allot or divert funding he wants, he’ll look for loopholes — ones that could set very dangerous presidential precedents.
The 1976 National Emergencies Act gives presidents sweeping authority as well as allowance in federal regulations. And yet, the USC03] 50 USC Ch. 34: NATIONAL EMERGENCIES contains no mentions of the word “immigration” and similarly no references to any sort of “express allowance” for U.S. presidents to declare immigration emergencies.
If the 1976 National Emergencies Act is used for Trump to fulfill his campaign promise, you can expect future Democratic presidents to do the same on issues like climate change and other personal agendas. This is why Mitch McConnell warned President Trump that declaring a national emergency could create a rift in the GOP conference.
Politicians should be very careful when exercising powers which could be abused in the future by their successors. The 1976 National Emergencies Act can be implemented once a single president starts the trend. A future Democratic president, for example, could use it for universal health care, preventing gun violence, or making the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. Certainly even President Trump would not agree with this future possibility.
Anthony Watts is known for his time reporting the weather on KHSL-TV, as well as KPAY NewsTalk 1290 radio. He operates the website wattsupwiththat.com which is part of the ER blog network.
Matt York is the Executive Director of One Mobile Projector per Trainer. He founded Videomaker Inc., a leading publisher on video production, in 1986 in Chico.
