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April 28, 2009
Exclusive: Legal Aliens with Swine Flu May Not Enter U.S. – But What About Illegal Aliens?
The critical issue regarding the current outbreak of swine flu that has not received attention by most news organizations can be summed up in two short paragraphs that appear in this Washington Times news report:
"People legally traveling to the United States from Mexico will be allowed entry provided that they don't show symptoms of the flu virus,” Ms. Napolitano said at the White House news conference. “Travelers who do exhibit symptoms of the virus will be quarantined."
"We have implemented passive surveillance protocols to screen individuals who may arrive at our borders," she said.
Please stop and think about what the Secretary of Homeland Security said in those two sentences. Note that she had previously stated that those who run our nation's borders are not committing a crime.
“People legally traveling to the United States from Mexico will be allowed entry provided that they don't show symptoms of the flu virus...Travelers who do exhibit symptoms of the virus will be quarantined.”
How about those who are not legally traveling to the United States from Mexico?
First of all, the question I would love to ask Ms Napolitano is, “What is the opposite of legal?”
Obviously, the opposite of legal is illegal (in violation of law). So, while she and other “leaders” make light of those who violate our borders and our immigration laws, those violators will not be subject to the scrutiny that she claims would keep those who show symptoms of the flu virus will be quarantined. I would remind everyone that if it is important to quarantine those who display symptoms of the virus, then those illegal aliens whose entry into our country is done surreptitiously will not be screened.
Does illegal entry into our country sound serious to her yet? Remember, this is simply about aliens who may have the flu. This still does not address criminal aliens who have convictions for serious crimes and apparently the propensity to committing serious crimes. This still does not address aliens who suffer from mental illness and may be prone to committing acts of violence against others. This still does not address aliens who may be terrorists or those who act in support of terrorist organizations. In fact, this does not address all of the various reasons that our government would seek to prevent from entering our country.
As a former immigration inspector, I can tell you that the inspections process, when done properly, can protect our nation and our citizens and save lives.
In past commentaries I have covered the various legal grounds for excluding aliens from entering our country, so I will not repeat those grounds for excludability now. The point is that I do believe that Ms. Napolitano suffers mouth/ear coordination because apparently, her ears don't hear what her mouth is saying. Her statement is important because what is being said is that only aliens who legally enter the United States will be screened in an effort to prevent the further spread of a disease that has already killed people in Mexico and may well kill many more people around the world.
How will our hospitals, especially those in the border regions near Mexico, deal with potentially thousands of illegal aliens who may show up in emergency rooms with symptoms of this flu, should this virus spread widely?
Under the provisions of EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) no one can be turned away from an emergency room in a hospital if they are unable to pay for their treatment and have no insurance. For these folks, the treatment is free. But we all know that there is no such thing as “free.” How many hospitals have gone into bankruptcy over “free” medical treatment?
How will hospitals deal with having more people show up looking for treatment than they have doses of anti-viral medication? Who will make the really tough decisions about who will get the medications and who won't?
This is not a new version of Chicken Little. Simply stated, this is common sense. The issue of border security is important across a broad spectrum of issues and concerns about the spread of dangerous diseases is but one of many areas of concern.
The quarantining of those who seek entry into our country but who present the apparent symptoms of the swine flu is a prudent measure. However, it is insane to say that our government will take this action but not seek to take its own borders and those who violate those borders seriously. This represents a disconnect of unfathomable proportions.
Will someone please ask Ms Napolitano to listen to her own words?
Family Security Matters Contributing Editor Mike Cutler is a Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and a recognized authority who addresses the implications of immigration on national security and criminal justice. Feedback: editorialdirector@familysecuritymatters.org.
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