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In just four months, the national interest in illegal immigration has quadrupled. A recent poll conducted by the Associated Press showed that this month, 13 percent of Americans ranked immigration as their top concern. The same poll showed only 3 percent of Americans had the same opinion in January. By comparison, in the April survey the economy was ranked first by 14 percent of Americans.
Street protests over U.S. immigration policy have taken place across the country, even in Nebraska. The U.S. Senate deadlocked over immigration reform after two full weeks of debate and in the end did not produce a bill, leaving our borders open. Again, Washington tried to pass a “do everything” bill but in the end did nothing to solver our border problems.
Last fall I set out to change the way Washington was thinking about illegal immigration by trying to get Washington to focus on border security first. Everyone agrees on the need to secure our borders. Comprehensive border security has been stalled by questions about how to deal with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already here. I proposed that we focus on border security first, and then deal with these other issues so that we could secure our borders while we sought the answers those questions.
But we can’t control the situation inside the U.S. until we have control over people illegally entering the U.S. And while the debate stalls in Washington, the illegal immigration problem worsens.
In recent days I have been meeting with Nebraska law enforcement officials to discuss their efforts to fight meth. They tell me that up to 80 percent of meth in the United States is smuggled across our border from Mexico. This influx of meth is taking a financial and personal toll on Nebraska. Recent statistics underscore the troubling but undeniable effects of meth in our state:
Nebraska has more than 22,000 meth addicts—that’s nearly the population of Kearney.
Admissions for meth abuse treatment have increased nearly twenty-fold. The numbers have jumped from about 5 people per 100,000 population to 99 people per 100,000.
Some law enforcement officials say 70% of all crimes committed in Nebraska are meth-related. These crimes originate from people either selling or making meth, or people committing crimes to finance their habit.
In 2005, 932 Nebraskans went to prison for drug offenses. More than half of the offenders were charged with meth crimes.
Last year, the Nebraska State Patrol seized 88 pounds of meth during routine traffic stops with a street value of $2.9 million. Compare that to the 55 pounds seized with a street value of $1.9 million in 2003.
Before we can take a clear look at what to do next with illegal immigrants, we have to take action at our borders so we can put a stop to illegal immigration and stop the flow of drugs like meth across our borders. When the Senate reconvenes at the end of this month it should rally around a tough border security first bill that can be passed by both Houses of Congress. Every day that Washington fails to act is another day our borders remain open.
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