Humanitarian crisis or self inflicted wound?

As we celebrate our Nation's Independence, proud Americans hold these famous words close to their hearts:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

America is the greatest country in the world and its citizens are blessed, however we do have our share of
problems. Currently, the biggest domestic issue we face is unchecked immigration. For years, the federal
government has debated this issue but has continually failed to find a solution on how to fix a broken system.
Their inaction has now resulted in a crisis.

California's local cities, schools, hospitals and public safety agencies have all shouldered the cost of a failed
immigration system. Our lack of border security, coupled with the Federal Government's failure to act has
resulted in Californias prisons not being fully reimbursed for housing dangerous criminals, local police and
fire departments being tasked with immigration responsibilities, long waits for families trying to immigrate
legally, and many other costs that have unfairly penalized taxpayers.And, the problem is now only getting
worse.

The recent border charge by thousands of unaccompanied children and women from Central America further
demonstrates that immediate action is needed to solve this crisis.

I am a mother of two children born into a military and law enforcement family, and our love of country is
deeply evident by the career paths that we have all chosen. As a mom, it breaks my heart to see both fear
and vulnerability on the faces of detained children, and it angers me to know that they are being used as
tools to advance a political agenda. It should have never gotten to this point.

It is wrong to shift the burden onto communities such as Murrieta and El Centro that lack the facilities or the
manpower to process such a massive influx of detainees. Our local residents are rightly upset with their
government, and even Border Patrol Agents have expressed their strong frustration with the situation. How
smart is it to leave thousands of people at a bus station in suburban America who do not speak the language
and have no money or food?

Also troubling is the fact that agents will now be pulled off highway inspection points known to be major drug
trafficking routes in order to handle transferred detainees. Pure and simple, this whole situation is a travesty
and a disaster.

Our Federal Government must act quickly and decisively to:

Strengthen border security
Change our laws to immediately and compassionately deal with detained children by expediting their
returns to their home countries and families
Work with Central American Countries to strengthen their economy and dismantle gangs
Adopt a comprehensive solution to our Nations immigration crisis so that local communities, hardworking
families and taxpayers are no longer bearing the brunt of a broken system

Granting amnesty or ignoring the problem will never be the solution. Much like our forefathers declared
Independence for numerous injustices and grievances, we as Californians need to call on the federal
government to once and for all resolve the immigration issue. Thisis a must if we are to truly have our
unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.


Bonnie Garcia
A former member of the California State Assembly, Bonnie Garcia has always worked to protect the rights of
hardworking families, taxpayers and constituents.