Ask any plumber: fix the leaks first

In the early 1970s I was a teenage sailor stationed on the USS Kitty Hawk when the aircraft carrier was docked in San Diego. I was a frequent visitor to Tijuana, Mexico at the time, and I crossed the border many times.

There were illegal aliens who sneaked into the U.S. back then, though their numbers were small compared to today. And there were Mexican drug gangs who smuggled drugs into the U.S., but they were mere thieves compared to the powerful and deadly drug cartels of today.

Today, the near-open border is a matter of national security and a presidential campaign issue as illegal immigrants, including criminals, and deadly drugs find their way into northern locations, including Philadelphia.

As we’ve seen too often in Kensington, the fentanyl that’s killing Philadelphians comes from the south side of the U.S. border. And the illegals who find their way to Philadelphia, a safe haven, cost the city’s taxpayers a significant amount of money in school, hospital, and other social services. And some of the illegals are hardened criminals.

While Democrats have noted that illegal aliens commit far fewer crimes than native-born Americans, do we really need to import more criminals? Furthermore, those who cross the border illegally are rarely checked. The migrants generally do not have proper identification, so we don’t really know who is a criminal or a terrorist. Yet they are released into the U.S.

Having worked in security as a young sailor in the U.S. Navy and later as a civilian employee in the Department of Defense, I know that good security has to be layered. Securing the border has to be much more than a wall, but a wall is a good start.

In addition to a completed border wall, electronic sensors must also be placed. Border Patrol agents and police officers must monitor and respond to the sensors.

I think it’s a good idea for border states like Texas to take on the first line of border protection, using their state and local police and, if necessary, their National Guard. The federal government can offer law enforcement grants that provide money to increase the hiring of state and local agents and equipment.

In addition to the economy, former President Trump has made the border crisis a key election issue for 2024.

According to the 2024 Republican platform, the Trump administration will “close the border and stop the migrant invasion.”

The platform notes that Republicans “will deliver an aggressive plan to end the open-border policies that have opened the floodgates to a flood of illegal aliens, deadly drugs, and migrant crime. We will end the invasion at the southern border, restore law and order, protect American sovereignty, and deliver a safe and prosperous future for all Americans.”

The GOP platform offers a six-point plan:

1. Secure the Border Republicans will restore every border policy of the Trump Administration and halt all releases of illegal aliens into the interior of the country. We will complete the border wall, shift vast swaths of federal law enforcement to immigration enforcement, and use advanced technology to monitor and secure the border. We will use every means necessary to stop the invasion, including moving thousands of troops currently stationed abroad to our own southern border. We will deploy the U.S. Navy to impose a complete Fentanyl blockade on the waters of our region, boarding and inspecting ships for fentanyl and fentanyl precursors. Before we defend the borders of foreign countries, we must first secure our own border.

2. Uphold Immigration Laws Republicans will strengthen ICE, increase penalties for illegal entry and visa overstays, and restore “Remain in Mexico” and other policies that have helped reduce illegal immigration to historic lows during President Trump’s first term. We will also invoke the Alien Enemies Act to remove all known or suspected gang members, drug dealers, or cartel members from the United States, ending the scourge of violence by illegal alien gangs once and for all. We will reinstate the travel ban and use Title 42 to end the child trafficking crisis by immediately returning all trafficked children to their families in their home countries.

3. Begin the largest deportation program in American history President Trump and Republicans will roll back the Democrats’ destructive Open Borders policy, which has allowed criminal gangs and illegal aliens from around the world to roam the United States without repercussions. The Republican Party is committed to sending illegal aliens home and removing those who have broken our laws.

4. Strict Screening Republicans will use existing federal law to keep foreign Christian-hating communists, Marxists, and socialists out of America. Those who join our country must love our country. We will use extreme screening to ensure that jihadists and jihadist sympathizers are not allowed in.

5. Stop Sanctuary Cities Republicans will cut federal funding for sanctuary jurisdictions that release dangerous illegal criminals onto the streets instead of turning them over to ICE. We will need local cooperation with Federal Immigration Enforcement.

6. Ensure our legal immigration system puts American workers first Republicans will prioritize merit-based immigration, ensuring that those admitted to our country contribute positively to our society and economy, and never become a drain on public resources. We will end chain migration, and put American workers first.”

The Republican Party platform states that the Trump administration will launch the largest deportation program in American history. But if you ask a plumber, he will tell you to fix the leak before you pump out the water.

We must first secure the border and stop the flow of criminals, terrorists and deadly drugs into cities like Philadelphia.

Paul Davis, a Philadelphia-based writer and frequent contributor to Wide + Freedomalso contributes to Counter-terrorism magazine and writes the column “On Crime” for the Washington TimesYou can reach him at pauldavisoncrime.com.