Encouraging self-deportation through an effective immigration plan

A future Trump administration has promised it will reinstitute effective border policies and enforce the laws on the books to stop mass illegal entry. Constituents attending the RNC held signs that read “Mass Deportation Now,” and former President Trump has committed to carrying out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history as a means of restoring the rule of law and safety of Americans.

But the lingering question, set against the backdrop of what the Democrats contend is an unfixable problem, is how this will be accomplished. How will the Trump administration remove countless millions of illegal immigrants from our country? The answer is one at a time, carefully, and with the help of the more responsible illegals.

Over time, taxpayers will spend trillions of dollars on Biden’s illegal immigrants one way or another. None of us signed up for that burden. If they stay in the country, those costs will be fixed and perpetual. Historically, entitlements do not shrink, especially after the NGOs sink their teeth into the money trail. If they are deported, the burn rate will slowly decrease and eventually stop.

Self-selection is the best way to cull the numbers. We have all watched TV shows and movies in which police officers pull over someone who has broken the law. Officers routinely ask, “Do you have anything in the vehicle that you should not have? If I have to dig around and find it myself, this is going to go harder on you.” It is implicit in that statement that if the driver admits to having drugs in the car and safely points the officer to them, he will be dealt with less severely.

The individual is given one last opportunity to control his fate and to take personal responsibility for his actions. Speak up and take lesser consequences. Break the law, then lie, cheat, and hope for the best, and suffer harsher consequences if caught. Honesty is the best policy. The carrot-and-stick approach is a tried and true one for good reasons.

In January, the second Trump administration should announce to the world that benefits for illegal aliens will cease and all people who have entered the country illegally during the Biden administration have 90 days to take a few important steps. First, gather their paperwork. Second, report to designated locations in each state for vetting. Based on the status of their papers, if they are here illegally, they will be ejected as part of a controlled process. The government will give them a few options for destinations outside the United States to which they can go at the federal government’s expense.

If they start following the rules and cooperating, they will be given a prompt opportunity to reapply for entry and get in line behind others who have followed the law. That is not a guarantee they will be allowed to quickly reenter. It is an assurance that they will be allowed to apply to reenter and, if they meet the legal criteria, return to U.S. soil with a path to a prolonged lawful stay.

In the meantime, they will have to support themselves outside America. It was never our responsibility to support everyone who crossed the southern boundary. No one from Syria had to come here — even if you believe they were fleeing persecution. They could have ended their trip several times before arriving in Mexico. They chose an illegal path and will be given a second chance to make a better decision.

Those who leave first will be vetted first for possible return. If they are honest, they will have the opportunity to do things the right way and to be productive contributors to society rather than illegal aliens whom most Americans view as a drain on the system and a detriment to their communities.

If, on the other hand, they choose not to report as instructed, they will be treated differently when caught. If the federal government has to root them out and expend resources to locate them, they will be summarily ejected from the country to a location of the administration’s choice and will be permanently barred from ever reapplying for reentry under any circumstances.  That is a big stick as long as the new administration will use it, and all signs point to its willingness to do so.

If the hypothetical driver denies having drugs in his car and the police dig around and find them, he will likely earn additional charges.  He will have assumed the risk and bet his freedom on the police’s inability to find his stash.

Likewise, if any of Biden’s illegals refuse to report and instead hide, they will be wagering that they can live the rest of their lives in America under the radar without public support and never be found out and permanently deported. As some see others owning up and being allowed to reapply, and that line outside the United States grows, more will choose that path. Being an American is about personal autonomy, after all.

The likely response from the left is that this is inhumane. Others would argue that it is inhumane for a president to make promises he knows he cannot keep, refuse to enforce the law, fill our streets with homeless people, and neglect our veterans and those who need mental health counseling in favor of shacking up unvetted illegal aliens on the taxpayer dime in what were some of the country’s best hotels and most beautiful cities. 

Americans who travel abroad for work would never contemplate making demands of foreign governments for their convenience, or voting there, or insisting on equal rights and privileges with another nation’s citizens. American Democrats already call conservatives every derogatory name they can come up with. Insulting us for demanding protection of our national sovereignty will not move the needle in favor of a permanently open border, disproportionate representation in the legislature, and a steady stream of new voters.

For the United States to protect itself and its citizens, it must reestablish its southern line of demarcation. Most Americans agree that there should be a lawful pathway for people to come here. However, that effort cannot begin with the commission of a federal crime and a financial deal with human traffickers and drug dealers.

If you hop a fence to get into the Superbowl and are caught, you cannot claim the right to stay even if you are willing to pay half the ticket price to stand for the rest of the game. You will be quickly and sternly shown the door, as you should be. 

Thomas Crist is a husband, father, lawyer, and political conservative who loves his country and despises all myopic hypocrisy regardless of its source.