10/19/03 -- The Wheeling (West Virginia) News-Register
To the many problems created by politicians' refusal to confront the economic and security problems of illegal immigration, add this: Millions of illegal immigrants have decided to stay in the United States, with the knowing help of officialdom.
These new permanent illegals are straining health care and education systems, among other benefits provided by taxpayers, prompting the political class to declare that still more expansion of expensive programs to serve the illegal population are needed.
The icing on the cake: Immigration authorities don't even bestir themselves to deport known illegals anymore, even in areas where fairly large populations of them are known to exist.
As The Wall Street Journal recently detailed, two developments are prompting illegals to stay: Tighter border patrols following Sept. 11 have made illegal border crossing more expensive and more dangerous, making repeated crossings more difficult, and generous welfare and education benefits have made it very comfortable to stay. In California, where the Journal focused its report, illegals can even get drivers licenses and bank accounts. The average U.S. stay of an illegal immigrant has climbed to nine years.
Authorities aren't doing much to disturb illegals' lifestyle, either. "We haven't done workplace enforcement in years," the head of the Board Patrol's Northern California district told The Journal. "We're in the process of being closed down here."
If illegals stay long enough, of course, they have children who are then legal residents and eligible for generous welfare benefits. It's a virtually self-feeding cycle, made possible by officials unwilling to endure criticism from assorted pro-illegal immigrant pressure groups.