Senator Raphael Warnock must have been one of those breathing a sigh of relief when a judge blocked President Biden from lifting the rule known as Title 42.

GA, USA, June 2, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Senator Raphael Warnock must have been one of those breathing a sigh of relief when a judge blocked President Biden from lifting the rule known as Title 42 that allows the U.S. to continue turning away people at the border. Immigration has been a tough tightrope for Sen. Warnock, who is in the midst of a fight to hold onto his senate seat. Up until now, Warnock has tried separating himself from the president on immigration saying, “I think this is the wrong time, and I haven’t seen a plan that gives me comfort.” Now he has time to breathe and decide how far he should go criticizing the White House and supporting so-called Open Borders advocates.

Our southern borders are facing the largest influx of migrants in years. Even with Title 42 still in place, the Department of Homeland Security is now asking for more money and resources to deal with the current situation—and whatever happens if and when Title 42 is lifted. Against this backdrop, Democrats on the far left are advocating for open borders. With calls to “Abolish ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” some House Democrats are calling for the government to end all monitoring of illegal immigrants—regardless of their criminal background. It is no secret that Sen. Warnock will need their support if he is to be re-elected. That might be why he didn’t mind being photographed speaking in front of a crowd holding signs that said “Abolish ICE” and “Imagine the Earth without Borders.”

The problem with signs like those goes beyond optics. Hundreds of thousands of migrants coming to our communities will put a strain on government and service organizations that want to help people get settled and establish citizenship. We believe people should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S., but we need to have rules and enforcement. We promote leadership in the Hispanic community to advance free-enterprise principals. We fought to protect Dreamers with a permanent solution for DACA, but we know that declaring open borders and eliminating enforcement officials will create chaos that could ultimately prove dangerous to those seeking to live here legally.

We don’t know if Sen. Warnock or others affiliated with left-wing, open borders advocates truly understand the dangers that will come if their policies are enacted, but most Americans do grasp the situation. A Pew Research study from last year found most Americans (69%) believe there should be a way for undocumented immigrants who are now living in the U.S. to stay in the country legally if certain requirements are met. That can’t happen with open borders.

Nor can it happen if the government doesn’t monitor people awaiting immigration hearings who are allowed to live free from detention if they agree to electronic monitoring. Two years ago, Democrats like Sen. Warnock, campaigned on the belief that detention should be a last resort. That’s when new technology became available to let people check in and have their whereabouts validated—not tracked—by ankle bracelets or by a device that looks like an iPhone (but has none of the apps). Today, instead of supporting alternatives to detention, the Democrats have moved further left, calling for an end to any monitoring at all.

Such beliefs are wrong for Georgia. Among our state’s one million Hispanic residents there are many first-generation citizens, who have demonstrated that the system can work when it is empowered to control the influx of those seeking a new life in the U.S. More than 50 million Americans of Hispanic descent have established themselves as legal immigrants. The fabric of the country needs their values of hard work, faith, community and family to help us all live better. While we consider what that means, our elected officials should all consider how they can work to improve the system—not tear it down.

(Rudy Beserra is on the Board of Directors of Hispanic 100 and retired Sr. VP of Latin Affairs at The Coca-Cola Company.)

Rudy Beserra
Hispanic 100
+1 949-734-5656
email us here